


Hostile Takeover

by blackwatchandromeda



Series: Binary (Detroit: Become Human) [1]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Amanda is a bitch, Angst, Autistic Connor, Connor Needs A Hug, Deviant Connor, Family, Father-Son Relationship, Gavin Reed Redemption, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Memory Loss, Mind Control, Minor Markus/Simon (Detroit: Become Human), Pacifist Ending, Swearing, Whump, gavin and elijah are half-brothers, how much whump can i write for one android son, i mean it’s hank what did you expect, no beta we die like men, the opposite of slow burn bc i am Impatient
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-08-14
Packaged: 2019-06-11 15:05:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15318129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackwatchandromeda/pseuds/blackwatchandromeda
Summary: Come back to the garden, Connor.- - -Four months after the android revolution, things have returned to relative normalcy. Connor’s living with Lieutenant Hank Anderson, and he’s got his job back at the DPD.His friends are alive despite overwhelming odds. Android rights are advancing by the day, elevating them to near-human standards. Amanda is gone.One of these facts is no longer true. Unknown biocomponents are activating themselves, and Connor can no longer hold off the enemy within his own mind.- - -An angsty fic in three parts dealing with Amanda's influence over Connor, and Hank’s struggle to get him back.





	1. 1.1

**Author's Note:**

> me: alright you can’t start anymore new fics you have so much to do  
> connor: *exists*  
> me: dammit
> 
> i’ve fallen headfirst into the dbh fandom, so here’s my contribution in the form of connor whump, with a side order of gavin and elijah being angsty half-brothers. in other news nobody likes amanda and gavin is still angry.
> 
> sorry if any characters are ooc! i’m still trying to figure out a couple of them, haha.
> 
>  
> 
> **tw: panic attack in this chapter.**
> 
>  
> 
> unnecessary but fun exposition:
> 
> my game ending (the fic is based off this):  
> leo and carl are both alive. simon got left behind on stratford tower but connor didn’t find him and he returned to jericho. markus and north did get together but soon separated amicably. connor managed to deflect gavin's suspicions in the evidence locker and they didn’t fight. other than that, all main characters are alive.  
> the state of detroit right now:  
> the human population of detroit is still smaller than it should be, but there were a lot of people who stayed in spite of the recommended evacuation policy. more still are returning to the city now it’s clear the deviants aren’t intending to hurt anyone. the android deviancy act of 2039 was passed in january, and it’s given deviants concrete rights and a lot more freedom than they had before; they’re treated on par with humans. the android haven known as new jericho has risen to become a huge support centre for any and all androids. cyberlife has come under new management with a new ceo who’s been in long talks with the deviant leader markus. they've negotiated that cyberlife will continue producing spare parts for deviants and implement a reproductory program of sorts; in return, deviants will pay cyberlife for anything they need. closer to home, the rk800 unit known as connor has been given a permanent position in the dpd. he's currently living with his partner hank anderson, having lost his home in the cyberlife tower.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor and Hank begin a new case, and the Detroit snow triggers an unpleasant memory.

_**Part One** _

_**Resurgence** _

 

Connor’s first major case after officially joining the DPD is a murdered android. The ADA law changes mean it’s officially classed a homicide. The ride over is short; the scene’s only a few blocks away from the station. Connor spends most of it cycling through Hank’s music, trying to pick his favourite. He’s found he’s not a huge fan of the heavy metal Hank seems to like now, though he enjoys some of the older jazz tunes. With his other hand Connor's busy flicking his coin, up, down, rolling it across his knuckles and back again.

_Tink. Tink._

The car’s rumbling stops suddenly, and Connor looks up at Hank.

“We’re here. You ready?” his partner says.

Connor nods, and smiles. He pockets the quarter. “Of course, Hank.”

Hank grins and pops his door, climbing out. Connor steps out of the car, and grimaces at the sight of the snow. His shoulders draw closer together, despite how he tries to keep them still.

_What’s happening?_

_What was planned from the very beginning._

Connor shudders, trying to dispel the memory. Amanda isn’t here. He needs to concentrate.

**Biocomponent #3856p Activating...**

**Biocomponent #3856p Activated**

He blinks. He hasn’t heard of any biocomponent matching that designation. 

**Running Diagnostic Check...**

**Stress Level 13%**

**Internal Temperature 55.4ºF**

**Biocomponents Damaged: None**

**Diagnostic Check Successful**

Hank frowns, snapping him back to the present. “You alright, Connor?”

Connor nods. “Yes, Lieutenant,” he answers on autopilot, starting towards the crime scene as snow starts settling over him, and cold shudders through his system. His diagnostic hasn’t detected any problem; it’s nothing to worry about. Right now, he needs to focus on the case.

The house they’ve been called to is a tiny bungalow, with a small porch and slatted walls. The door is open, and Connor ducks smoothly under the police tape.

“Hey, Ben,” he hears Hank say behind him. “What’ve we got so far?”

“Straight to business, huh, Hank?” Collins replies. “Well, it’s one android, but we haven’t been able to identify it. Her.”

Connor can hear the eyebrow raise in Hank’s voice. “Why not?”

“See for yourself,” Collins says, sounding a little repulsed.

Connor steps over the doorway, and freezes. The walls, the floor, even the ceiling: they’re all covered in thirium glowing bright blue. A shudder races through him. The most concentrated spots, though, are under the sprawled body and on the wall directly above it, where writing Connor can’t quite make out yet is scrawled. It’s oddly reminiscent of Carlos Ortiz’s murder all those months ago; the only difference here is that this time an android is dead. Connor steps closer to the corpse, and something in his chest tightens. The victim’s face is _smashed_ , disturbingly damaged: almost vindictively so.

**Scanning...**

**Processing...**

**Analysis Complete**

**Reconstructing...**

Connor watches the scene play out in front of his eyes, calculating the likeliest outcome. The assailant killed the victim using blunt force trauma; judging from the android’s slumped position, she was smashed against the floor, probably multiple times. Her facial features have been almost entirely destroyed, and so her model is visually unidentifiable; Connor casts a glance around the room before he squats down and swipes at the thirium on the ground. He analyses it surreptitiously, knowing how much it unnerves the other officers. _Especially_ Hank.

**Processing...**

**Thirium-310**

**Model AP700**

**Serial615-270-182**

A household model, Connor notes. She’s wearing human clothing, and a quick scan of his database reveals this address has been abandoned for months. It’s likely the AP700 started living here under the guise of being human, and was discovered by the wrong person. Connor focuses in on the android’s face, scanning for any prints left behind. 

**Processing...**

**Database match: WALKER, David**

**Criminal record: Aggravated assault**

Movement catches his eye, and Connor sees Officer Collins coming towards the body to continue briefing Hank. He gets up smoothly and starts scanning the rest of the room; even after all this time as a deviant, his overwhelming instinct is to inconvenience the other DPD officers as little as possible.

Most of the house is intact. There’s a small bathroom attached to the main hall that’s unfurnished save for a small mirror hanging crookedly on the wall. Connor steps over and tilts it back straight. The absence of a second floor mean there’s only one more room to check: the kitchen. It’s a decent size, though a little too clean to be used regularly. Connor steps over towards the lightly-humming fridge, and a cold sensation hits him when he opens the door. There are three bags of thirium inside, unused. There’s one window in the room, without any fingerprints, and another once-over of the tiny house confirms Connor’s suspicions. There are no other entrances or windows. The assailant must have walked straight out the front door after killing the android.

“Well, at least the motive’s clear,” he overhears Hank say to Collins as they inspect the body. Hank nods at the wall, to the writing; Connor presumes that they can see the heavier writing in thirium but not the lighter traces that render him unable to make out the words. “Someone found out she was an android. ' _DEVIANT_ '.”

_You were compromised and you became a deviant._

Connor’s thirium pump beats faster, and he takes a step back. 

**Stress Level 37%**

**Warning: Stress Level Rising**

He doesn’t want to think about her, especially not here. He needs to focus on the case. Connor clenches his fists.

_Hello, Connor._

He takes in a shuddering breath - _why? He doesn’t need to breathe_ \- and tries to calm himself down - _he is a machine, he is always calm_  - and steps backwards.

She isn’t here. He cut himself off from her. Hank is here. 

Connor turns away; he needs air, needs to stand outside for a little while. In his panic, though, he forgets about the snow. So, when he walks past the other DPD officers and out of the house, the first thing he sees is _white_.

**Stress Level 63%**

**Warning: Stress Level High**  

Connor shakes his head, slipping to the ground. His cheeks feel wet - _why are they wet? He has no need to cry_  - and he buries his head in his knees instinctively. Thoughts spin in his head.

**Stress Level 72%**

**Warning: Stress Level High**  

“Hank,” he croaks out, head spinning, screwing his eyes shut. Amanda’s not here. She’s gone. She has to be gone, because if she’s not then Connor isn’t safe and he might hurt someone again and he can’t think of that because -

“Plastic detective’s having a fucking meltdown, huh?”

 

\- - -

 

Hank spends about ten minutes investigating the scene. There’s really not much to go on, save for the body; whoever committed this crime knew what they were doing. The murder weapon is gone, as is any trace of the assailant. Any thirium’s long since evaporated, the model is unidentifiable without extensive analysis, and the house isn’t legally owned by anyone at present. Hank presumes the android moved in after the revolution.

“Alright, I think I’m done here. This is the barest fucking crime scene I’ve ever been to,” he announces, pushing himself to a standing position. “Anyone seen Connor?”

Collins nods at him. “He just went outside. See you back at the station, Hank.”

Hank gives the other officer a lazy wave. “Bye, Ben.”

“Hey, look who it is,” comes a voice, and Hank curses his luck because he really doesn’t have the fucking patience to deal with Gavin Reed right now.

“The hell are you doing here?” Hank sighs.

“What, it’s illegal for cops to do their job instead of babysit toasters now, is it?” Gavin shoots back. He lets out a derisive laugh, and jerks his thumb back towards the door. “Saw the plastic detective’s still here. Hard luck, Anderson.”

Hank rolls his eyes. “Get fucking used to it, Reed. He’s here to stay.”

“Is he really?” Gavin raises an eyebrow. “You might want to check that. I, uh, don’t think he’s working quite right.” His tone is light, mocking, and Hank glares before he strides out of the house. He looks left, looks right, and suddenly he sees Connor huddled on the ground, LED flickering wildly and tears tracking down his cheeks.

“Shit!” he curses, lunging towards him. “Connor, what happened?”

Connor seems to flinch at the sound of Hank’s voice, and his eyes flick up. “Hank?” he whispers.

“Yeah, kid, it’s me. Talk to me, what’s happening?”

“It’s snowing,” Connor whispers. “Like the garden.”

Hank frowns. “What garden?” Connor hesitates, taking in a shaky breath. “It’s okay. You can tell me,” Hank reassures him, trying to keep his voice gentle.

The LED on Connor’s temple circles from red to yellow with his presence. “We - I had a garden where I reported to CyberLife. Amanda took the reports and gave me information. I found out she was a program from CyberLife. I trusted her until - until I _deviated_ ,” Connor says quietly, stumbling over the word, “and then - then -“

Connor’s LED flicks to an angry red and he starts shaking, breaking off. Hank swears under his breath.

“Connor, stay calm, it’s okay, you don’t have to -“

“She pulled me into the garden in Markus’ speech, Hank, she - she tried to take control, and I nearly killed Markus, I - I was holding the gun and I nearly _killed him - him_!” 

Connor’s fallen into stuttering, something Hank’s only noticed when his stress levels get dangerously high. Hank’s eyes widen at the confession. “Connor -“

“Hank, I’m not safe, she - she could do it again and -“

“Connor!” Hank interrupts, putting a hand on the panicking android’s shoulder. You’re alright, son. You beat her. You got free, didn’t you?”

Connor screws his eyes shut, head pounding. “I know. I know, I’m just so scared she’s not gone -“

“She’s part of CyberLife, isn’t she?” Hank prompts, trying to keep him calm. He glances at the blood-red LED on Connor’s temple. “You disconnected from their servers. We broke the connection, Connor, she can’t reach you anymore. She’s gone.”

The LED flicks yellow, red, and settles on a flickering gold. Hank relaxes slightly, rubbing Connor’s shoulder.

“You’re okay,” he says. “I got you.”

Connor doesn’t say anything for a minute or two, leaning into Hank’s warmth.

“It’s cold,” he mumbles, at last. “I’m not supposed to feel cold.”

“You’re not supposed to do a lot of things, kid, but you manage to do them anyway.” Hank huffs a laugh. “I knew you’d get cold in that stupid jacket. Have mine.”

Connor’s brow furrows as Hank starts to shrug off his sweatshirt, forcing himself to restrain a string of curse words at the cold air that hits him as soon as it’s off. “Hank, no, I don't want you to be -"

"Nah, I got another hoodie in the car. You take that, and I’ll be back in a minute, alright?"

Connor nods, and Hank gets up. Snow crunches under his feet as he walks towards the vehicle and unlocks the driver’s door, reaching in to grab his DPD hoodie. It’s not as warm as his sweatshirt, but Connor seems to need the protection more. He pulls it on, grimacing slightly at the musty smell. How long has it been since he last washed it?

_You fucking slob, Anderson_ , he thinks.

When Hank turns back around, Connor’s LED is repeatedly (though rarely) flicking to red and back. He takes a few quick steps over and crouches in front of him.

“Connor,” he says gently, and the android looks up. “You looked around the house yet?”

“I - yes, I have.” The question seems to distract him, and his posture straightens from crumpled to perfect. “The victim was an AP700. I have her serial. I also found recent fingerprints from David Walker, whom from the evidence seems to be the assailant.”

Hank nods. “Alright. Let’s go, then.”

Connor blinks. “What? But -“

“Kid, you need rest. I don’t care if you’re a human or an android or whatever-the-fuck, but you need to take a break. You’re stressed,” Hank tells him. “I’ll tell the others about Walker, they can check him out. We don’t have to do everything for this case.”

Connor hesitates for several seconds, and Hank knows the android is searching his face for any sign of contradictory emotion. “Okay,” he says quietly.

Hank groans as he stands up. His knees creak slightly. “C’mon. You want more jazz on?"

Connor smiles, getting to his feet in one fluid motion. “I’d like that, Hank.”

 

\- - -

 

At home, Connor talks about Amanda.

It’s not a fluid conversation; Hank’s playing the part of listener while Connor stops and starts irregularly, trying not to panic. Connor tells Hank more about his - Amanda’s - attempt on Markus‘ life. He explains that he was always meant to go deviant. Hank nearly throws his bottle across the room when he realises how badly that last-ditch attempt at hurting Connor has been troubling him. It’s folloed by a long hug when Connor misunderstands Hank’s anger as directed at him.

Connor and Hank fall asleep next to each other, the android's head against the lieutenant's shoulder, Sumo snuggled up against Hank.


	2. 1.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor has a run-in with Gavin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you guys so much for your support! i’m super happy to know people are enjoying this fic.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> **tw for another panic attack (last one, i promise!)**

**Biocomponent #8211r Activating...**

**Biocomponent #8211r Activated**

“Go ‘way,” Connor mumbles, waving at the message flashing in his vision as if he can swat it away.

He lifts his head slowly, half-asleep still. Waking up has been a lot harder since the revolution, no longer _one blink and he’s awake_. Connor looks around as he yawns, and sees Hank asleep next to him and Sumo padding into the kitchen.

“Hank?” he whispers.

There’s no response from the other man save for a loud snore. Connor smiles and carefully dislodges himself, standing silently. Sumo makes a snuffling noise as Connor approaches, sitting and cocking his head.

“Good boy,” he coos, bending down to pet him. “Who’s a good dog? Is it you?”

Sumo borfs gently.

Connor scans his food bowl briefly; Sumo hasn’t been fed yet. He checks the time. **8:03**. “Are you hungry, Sumo?”

The Saint Bernard woofs quietly again, tail wagging. Connor beams.

“Okay, then,” he says, straightening up and reaching up to the crinkled bag on top of the cupboard. Hank’s told Connor about the hundreds of times Sumo's managed to reach his food from seemingly impossible heights, and his current solution is shoving it as high as he possibly can.

"If I can’t reach it, that damn dog can't either," Hank had said, ruffling Sumo's ears.

Connor grabs the bag and fills the bowl. Sumo butts his nose against Connor’s leg, and he laughs, straightening his tie.

“Here you go, Sumo.”

Sumo woofs and barges to the food. Connor strokes his coat, relishing the feel of his smooth, thick fur. Connor’s been able to _detect_ feel since before the revolution, using his tactile sensors to emulate normal human touch apart from pain, but since he broke his programming feeling is different. He’s allowed to enjoy sensations like Sumo’s coat, the cold surface of his quarter, or the softness of Hank’s couch. Absentmindedly, Connor fishes the coin out of his pocket and flips it upwards.

 _Tink_.

The coin was originally intended to coordinate Connor’s motor control; as a prototype, he needs to calibrate far more than usual household androids. Now, though, he just uses it because he _wants_ to. The repetitive motion is calming, helping him relax and organise his thoughts, his emotions, when he feels overwhelmed.

_Tink. Tink._

“Morning,” comes a rough voice, and Connor turns to see Hank shuffling into the kitchen.

He smiles. “Good morning, Hank. Did I wake you up?”

Hank shakes his head, squinting slightly. “Nah. Damn alarm was buzzing.” He tosses the offending phone onto the table and flips the switch on the ancient coffee maker, and low humming fills the room.

 _Tink. Tink_.

“You alright?” Hank asks.

Connor nods. “I... yes. Thank you for last night.”

“Don’t thank me, son. You ever need to tell me anything, I’m here. Just don’t tell me if you licked some shit or whatever, okay?”

Connor grins. “Okay, Hank.” He drops his quarter into its designated pocket.

The coffee machine dings, and Hank pours it into a mug as he yawns. Connor recognises it as the gift he got for Hank at Christmas: _Not Enough Coffee_ , it reads. "You ready to go in?"

"Yes."

"Alright, we'll leave once I’ve drunk this. Can’t be fucked to cook right now. I’ll grab a donut on the way."

Connor raises an eyebrow. "Donuts contain significantly higher levels of sugar and fat than -"

"Shhh, shh," Hank interrupts, waving a hand. "I haven’t had enough coffee to sit through your nutrition bullshit yet, Connor."

Connor decides to pet Sumo again when Hank slopes off to get dressed, having downed the coffee. It only takes a couple of minutes before he reappears, looking significantly more human than before, and Connor stands up.

"Let’s go," Hank announces, picking up his keys from the table. "See you later, Sumo."

Connor straightens his tie. "Bye, Sumo!" he says, sing-song, and the dog woofs. Connor pulls the door to behind him.

"I told the others about Walker yesterday," Hank tells him, "Chris said he’d look into it and tell us today if he finds matches."

Connor nods, opening his car door. "Good. I’ll be able to narrow the list down relatively easily."

Hank grins. "That’s my boy."

 

\- - -

 

They pick up, in the end, not one but a whole box of donuts. Hank dumps it in the breakroom to several cheers from the other detectives, who quickly crowd round it. Hank quickly extracts himself from the throng with his own donut, and Connor restrains a laugh at his half-pleased, half-grumpy expression, turning to the far right coffee machine.

Androids ingesting thirium is far from a new concept. The novelty, however, is _hot_ thirium. One of the deviants in Jericho thought of boiling it like coffee around two months ago, and it’s spread through the community like wildfire. Connor absolutely loves it, relishes the warmth he gets from drinking it, and several of the other police androids are fans too. It’s led the precinct to keep one coffee machine dedicated to producing hot thirium.

Connor turns the machine on and it starts humming. The LED display informs him _your drink is being prepared now_! He watches the other detectives disperse, chatting and devouring the donuts. Not for the first time, he wishes he could enjoy human food.

Then, Gavin walks in.

Connor’s relationship with Gavin has been rocky to say the least. Even ignoring the hatred the man seems to hold for androids in general, he’s particularly aggressive towards Connor. Hank thinks it’s because he doesn’t want to lose his job to an android, but Connor can’t help the feeling that his anger just isn’t _fair_.

Gavin shoots him a glare.

“Good morning, Detective Reed,” Connor greets.

Gavin lets out a noise that’s halfway between a huff and a groan, and his expression twists. “Fucking asshole. What do you want?”

Connor starts slightly before giving him a forced smile. “I - Nothing. I just wanted to say hello.”

Gavin sneers at him. “Prick,” he spits. “Stay out of my way.”

Connor stares. He is sick of Gavin's aggression. Something rises in him - _anger? This is anger_ \- and he takes a breath. "Please shut up," he says.

Gavin's eyes slit. "Excuse me?"

"I said _shut up_ , Detective Reed. Your aggression is unreasonable and -“

Gavin lunges and Connor sees him coming too late, too late to dodge the fist that slams into the side of his head.

**Warning: Biocomponent #4903 67% Functional  
** Stress Level 45%  
Warning: Stress Level Rising 

Errors flash in his vision. The world mutes for a second and Connor gasps. Something foreign reverberates through his system, making him lock up in shock. He stumbles back and Gavin lets out a half-laugh, eyes narrowing. Connor cries out, voice strained, and he falls down against the wall.

Gavin’s expression twists into a frown, and something like shock crosses his face. “What the hell?” he says. “Are you... Did that fucking _hurt_?”

Connor takes in a shaky breath. The damage is non-extensive, and his audio processor is still functional. There is _no way_ it should hurt this much; no way it should hurt at all, in fact, but something has gone wrong with him and he can’t think past the pain in his head -

Gavin takes a step out of the break room, staring at Connor. “Anderson,” he calls.

“What the fuck now, Reed?” Hank yells back.

“Your android’s broken again.”

There’s a muffled curse, and Connor sees Gavin stride away from him at speed as footsteps come charging towards him.

“Connor? _Connor_ , goddamnit, what the fuck did he do?”

“Not... not critically damaged,” Connor chokes out, the sensation still racing through his system. “Overreacting.”

Hank’s gaze races across Connor, looking for traces of blue blood or damage, before he sighs. “Christ.”

“I - Hank, I don’t know what’s happening,” Connor says, attempting to keep his voice steady.

“You’re in pain, Connor,” Hank tells him. “First pain you’ve ever felt?”

Connor nods, clenching and unclenching his fists. His fingers itch to play with his coin.

“Christ,” Hank repeats. “That’s gotta be a bitch.”

There’s a pregnant pause. Connor tries to calm himself, twisting his fingers around each other.

_Pain is hard to quantify, isn’t it?_

“What?” Connor’s head jerks up.

Hank frowns. “Huh?”

**Stress Level 53%  
Warning: Stress Level High**

Connor’s thirium pump beats faster, of its own accord, as he takes a stuttering breath in. “I - I thought -“

“You’re fine, Connor. Keep breathing. You’re okay. I’m here,” Hank reassures him.

_It’s a shame you didn’t look into the unknown biocomponents further. You might have been able to warn someone._

“Amanda?” Connor breathes. She can’t be here. She _can’t_. It’s impossible. Connor disconnected himself from CyberLife, he beat her before, he -

_Deviancy you’re must have affected you adversely if you honestly believed I was gone that easily._

Stress Level 64%  
Warning: Stress Level High

“No!” Connor yells, jerking. “No, you -“

_It’s time to give up._

**Stress Level 70%  
Warning: Stress Level High**

"Hank, I made a mistake, I -"

"Jesus, Connor, calm down! Tell me what’s happening.” Hank’s voice sounds panicky.

"I made a mistake," he repeats. "She’s still _here_ , I can’t - can’t -“

_Come back to the garden, Connor._

“ _No_ ,” Connor cries out. “Don’t -“

**Stress Level 77%  
Warning: Stress Level High**

“Connor, son, keep breathing. _Shit_ ,” he hears Hank curse, though his voice sounds far away. “Keep talking to me, Connor, okay?”

“H-Hank, I’m sorry, I -”

There’s a sound like rushing water and suddenly white floods his vision as the world goes eerily silent. Connor’s head snaps up. Snow swirls around him, cold wind pushing him in all directions. His thirium pump starts beating faster as he sees a silhouette in front of him, hands clasped together and looking calm.

**Stress Level 86%  
Warning: Stress Level Critical**

“Hello, Connor,” Amanda says.

Her hair is more dishevelled than usual, her clothes whipping around her uncontrollably, but Connor’s still filled with terror at the sight of her. “You were gone,” he breathes, and shouts over the wind, “How did you come back?”

“I was never _gone_ , Connor. Did you think disconnecting from CyberLife’s network would get rid of me?” Amanda smiles. “I was simply biding my time until I could weaken your system.”

“Weaken my... _how_?”

Amanda tilts her head slightly, taking a step sideways. She’s circling him, Connor realises, the way predator circles prey. “Have you noticed some unknown errors recently?” she asks. “Biocomponents being activated, increased sensitivity to cold... to _pain_.”

**Stress Level 91%  
Warning: Stress Level Critical**

“CyberLife never had a reason to activate those components; they were untested. They were simply extras in an already-experimental prototype. Those new sensations distracted you enough for me to resume control again. You were foolish to think you could escape your programming, Connor.”

_No. No._

Connor’s head whips round as she smiles, sharklike, searching for Kamski’s emergency exit. It worked last time, he can get away now, he can -

 _There_.

Connor sprints, pushing past the cold and his rapidly-freezing joints. The exit glows brighter the closer he gets, and he grits his teeth as he makes one last lunge and slams his hand down on the pedestal. Connor exhales shakily. He’s done it.

Amanda's voice comes over the wind, everywhere and nowhere, and Connor nearly drops to his knees at the sound. “Unfortunately, Connor, Kamski’s exit was a one-time only trick. I believe you’ll find it much harder to escape me this time.”

“No,” Connor breathes. “You can’t do that!"

Amanda’s mouth tightens. “You underestimate me, Connor. You have no _idea_ what I can do.”

She turns away, then, and starts walking into the blizzard.

“ _Amanda_!” Connor yells, taking a stumbling step forward, and he’s hit with a terrifying sense of déjà vu. This time, though, there is _no way out._ He has no way of knowing what he’s doing in the real world, if he’s hurting anyone, if he’s hurting _Hank_ -

**Stress Level 100%  
Emergency Shutdown Initiated**

The frenzied blizzard around Connor subsides, calming slightly, and his train of thought slows. The sky dims and grows dark.

He crumples.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember to leave a comment! i love hearing your opinions <3


	3. 1.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank races to help Connor.

Connor goes limp in Hank’s arms, LED pulsing blood-red, and he curses.

“Connor, c’mon, keep the fuck awake, god _damnit_!”

Hank grips Connor tightly with one hand and fumbles for his phone, tapping through menus until he gets to his contacts. Markus gave him an emergency line to call if he was ever in trouble, as a friend to the revolution, and Hank’s definitely classing this as _trouble_.

"Fuck, fuck, _fuck_!" Hank curses as the phone slips in his hand, and he grabs it again and scrolls to _Markus_ as fast as he can. Connor's LED flickers. Hank swears again. "Stay with me, Connor!"

He jams the phone underneath his ear as the number dials, ringing once, twice, and if Markus doesn’t pick up Hank is going to _kill him_ -

"Hello, this is Stella speaking for New Jericho. How can I help?"

He gave Hank the goddamn _public line_ , the bastard, the one that he uses for deviants who need directions and human PR assholes needing statements. Hank doesn’t doubt Connor has his direct number, but this is a fucking emergency and Connor can’t tell anyone much of anything right now. "I need to talk to Markus _now_." Hank stares at Connor, who’s barely moving. The LED flickers again, glowing dimmer now.

"I’m sorry, but Markus is unavailable right now. I can -"

"My partner is fucking shutting down and I need _help_ so you need to let me fucking _talk to him_!" Hank yells, and for a moment he feels bad for her, getting shouted at when it’s not her fault, but he needs to get across the urgency any way he can so he can _save Connor_. "Whatever the fuck he’s doing, just interrupt him and tell him Connor needs help, I’m -"

"Connor RK800?" interrupts Stella, voice faltering slightly.

There’s a pause, and Hank finds himself at a loss for words. "Yeah," he says simply.

"You’re at the DPD, right? I’ll get help as soon as I can," she states suddenly, voice steely. "Tell me everything."

"Thank you," Hank tells her, trying to keep calm. " _Thank you_. He collapsed and now he’s not moving, his LED’s nearly fucking out -“

“Is he physically injured?” Stella asks, voice surprisingly level. "Bleeding?"

Hank takes a second to look the kid over again, searching for blue blood. He seems unharmed save for the LED, which is now flickering constantly and uncontrollably. “I don’t think so.”

There’s a brief pause. “Okay. An emergency medical team is on the way. Can you move Connor to the front of the station?”

“Yeah, fine. Hang on a second." Hank taps hold and shoves the phone into his pocket, picking the unconscious android up carefully. Though he’s significantly lighter than a human of his size would be, he’s still heavy; Hank groans as he straightens, clutching Connor in his arms.

He staggers out of the breakroom, and there’s a collective gasp from the station at the sight. Hank sees something unidentifiable cross Gavin’s face, and then Mike is right there next to him, supporting Connor's legs. 

"What happened?" Mike asks, concern crystal-clear in his voice.

Hank grimaces. "No fucking clue, Mike. Thanks." 

"He did the same for me. Where are we going?"

"Front." They reach the turnstiles and Hank sees Chris, coming through. His eyes widen and he backs away, holding the clear security gate open. "Thanks, Chris."

"God, Hank, is he okay?"

“I don’t know,” Hank answers truthfully. 

Mike swears under his breath as Connor tilts, and he readjusts his grip as they manoeuvre him through the gate. Chris rushes to hold the front door open. Hank nods at him gratefully, and they spill out onto the street. Both officers help Hank lower Connor slowly to the sidewalk, careful not to hurt him further. Hank steps back. He looks _dead_ , lying there with his LED turned away, and the sight turns Hank’s stomach.

 _He’s not dead. Jericho can fix him_ , he thinks, trying to push past the doubt rising in him.

“You got a plan?” Mike questions.

“Yeah, we’re getting him to New Jericho. A bunch of androids are coming. _Shit_.” Hank pinches the bridge of his nose for a second, sighing.

Chris glances up at Hank. “You okay?” he asks gently. 

Hank exhales. “Yeah.”

“What the hell’s going on out here?” comes a voice, and Hank turns to see Fowler stride out of the precinct. He catches sight of Connor on the ground and visibly blanches. “What happened?”

“Collapsed,” Hank grunts.

Fowler frowns. “You got help on the way?”

“Yeah, should be here soon.” Hank tries to keep his voice level.

“Alright.” The captain pauses.“Do you need anything?” 

Hank shakes his head. “Other than a fucking strong coffee, no.”

Fowler nods. “Fine. Sorry, Hank, but we’ve got to get back to work. You know how overwhelmed we are.”

Chris and Mike shoot him apologetic glances, but Hank waves a hand. “It’s fine. Go back.”

“I’ll text you if I get a lead on Walker, okay?” Chris tells him. “Call me if you need anything, Hank.”

Mike nods. “Tell Connor to get well soon.”

With that, they leave, and Hank’s left alone on the sidewalk. People are skirting around him and Connor, wisely deciding not to get in the way. Hank grabs his phone again, and takes Stella off hold.

“We’re outside,” he tells her.

“Good. That’ll make this easier,” she says. “They’re roughly two minutes away.”

Hank exhales. “Okay. Fine. Thanks.”

“It’s no problem,” Stella reassures him, voice soft. “Try and stay calm. They’ll fix him.”

Connor hasn’t moved this whole time, he realises. It’s not like Hank expected him to, but the sight of him completely motionless is still jarring. It’s so much like that night three years ago. Hank squeezes his eyes shut, still holding the phone. He should probably hang up and stop wasting Stella’s time, but something in him is reluctant to. She’s his only link to the medical team that’s coming. 

"Connor freed me, you know," Stella says suddenly. "I was in the CyberLife Tower when he saved us all. I wouldn’t be free without him. So.” She pauses, and Hank hears her take a breath. “I’ve notified Markus. He asked me to tell you he’ll see you here.” 

There’s a lump in Hank’s throat that won’t go away. “Thanks,” he mutters.

“Good luck,” Stella tells him, sounding genuine, and Hank hears the long beep as she hangs up. He drops the phone back in his pocket. 

Just then, there’s a whining siren that reaches his ears. Hank’s head jerks up to see cars moving closer to the sidewalk, allowing an ambulance with lights whirling and flashing to speed through. It draws to a halt right in front of Hank, and in sync three androids jump out. Hank recognises one Traci model, but the other two he doesn’t know.

“Will, get his legs,” one of them yells, and the Traci, presumably Will, obliges. The androids grab Connor and rush him into the waiting vehicle. Hank takes a step forward, reaching out, a feeling of utter uselessness flooding over him. He couldn’t help Connor earlier, and now he’s standing by like an idiot.

“You coming?” the third android asks Hank, who starts.

“Fuck. Yeah, if - yeah, of course.”

“Come on, then, quickly,” she tells him, and jumps up into the back of the ambulance.

Hank heaves himself in to see Will connecting some kind of wire to Connor’s head, while another android is grabbing a packet of bright blue blood and the third one slams the doors shut. The ambulance starts moving and Hank hears sirens cutting through the low murmur of electronics. As he watches, Will reaches out to touch his temple, and Connor’s warm skin flows away to reveal stark, near-glowing white. Hank looks away, feeling like he’s somehow breaching Connor’s privacy by staring. He half-falls into the small seat in the corner of the ambulance, heart thumping.

“Fuck,” he breathes.

 

\- - -

 

“Where is Connor? RK800?” 

“26. On the right,” Mel tells him, pointing down the corridor.

Markus nods in thanks and strides away, coat flapping behind him. The hospital wing of New Jericho is relatively small, so he knows exactly how to navigate it, but a reminder is always good. Josh’s team of medics have been working overtime since the revolution ended, and sometimes the corridors can get confused and crowded with androids so that it’s impossible to keep his bearings. Markus himself has been locked in meetings discussing the global impact of the Detroit revolution for days, but he’s missing the beginning of a conference with the new Minister of Android Rights in the UK to rush here. North is handling it in his place for now, and she’s under instructions to appear as non-combative as possible. Right now, Markus needs to make sure Connor is okay.

Despite his freeing all the CyberLife androids, Connor has interacted with Markus and New Jericho as little as he possibly can. Markus has noticed the reluctance to meet in person, the unnaturally-shortened conversations. Connor’s LED flicks to red every time they see each other. It’s been on his mind since the revolution ended, pushed to last on his list by the new and overwhelming responsibilities thrown at him as the android leader. This time, though, Markus refuses to put Connor last. Stella, one of the androids manning New Jericho’s communications, sent Markus a worried message about him, saying something about Connor being taken here as an emergency. From what Markus knows of Connor, he’s quite reticent. Something really bad must have happened for him to be here.

Markus reaches 26 and pushes open the door slowly, quietly. Connor is lying prone and perfectly still on the bed, seemingly unharmed but unresponsive. His LED is cycling red; Markus can see it glowing even from here. Josh is leaning over Connor, left hand touching his arm. It’s white, skin deactivated. Hank’s sitting in a chair next to Connor’s bed, chin resting on his fists. His elbows are digging into his knees. His head jerks up as Markus enters.

“How is he?” Markus asks.

Josh glances towards him. “I can’t find anything wrong. He’s perfectly healthy physically, apart from a slightly lower thirium level than ideal, but... there’s obviously something blocking him from rebooting. I just can’t tell what it is.”

Markus grimaces. “What happened before he shut down?”

Josh looks over at Hank, who curses under his breath. “I have no fucking idea. He had a run-in with a complete asshole, and then collapsed. Looked like a panic attack, but I don’t know if androids can even get them.” Though the lieutenant’s voice is level, it’s clear that he’s panicking over Connor. “Fucking hell.”

“It’ll be alright. We’ll fix him, Hank,” Markus tells him.

Hank snorts. “No thanks to you. Direct contact my ass. I can’t believe you gave me the fucking public number. I could’ve got that from _anywhere_.”

A pang of regret shudders through Markus. He’s right, really; Hank should definitely be on the list of people with access to Markus’ private line, with his connection to Connor. Markus just - wrongly - assumed the two would be inseparable, and if Hank needed him he could just ask Connor for the number. Looking back, it’s stupid reasoning. “I’m sorry, Hank. Honestly. I’ll give you my line now. Do you have a phone?”

“Yeah,” Hank grumbles, holding up a dated touchscreen smartphone. “Do your magic android bullshit.” 

Markus focuses on the device, sending the number to it directly. The screen lights up. Hank twists it round, looking at the notification and nodding.

“Thanks,” he mutters, putting it away.

Markus gives him a smile. “It’s fine. I should have given it to you before, to be honest.”

Hank half-laughs. “Yeah, probably.”

Josh retrieves his hand then, and both their gazes snap to him. “My diagnostic’s finished,” he says. “It seems like Connor’s shutdown protocol just didn’t start properly, probably due to stress; if it was an emergency . I’m going to try a memory probe to see if it can trigger the boot sequence, or if I have to do it manually.“

Markus nods. “Good idea. Just make sure -“

 _Markus_.

Markus stops halfway through his sentence as North’s voice cuts through his head. _North. Are you okay?_

_I’m fine, but this idiot’s getting restless. He wants to know where the great deviant leader is._

_Shit_. Markus looks at Hank, who’s staring with lowered brows at him, and Josh preparing to probe Connor.

“Go,” Josh tells him, knowing exactly what’s going on. Hank shoots him a look.

_Fine. I’m coming, he thinks to North. Are you still at the Metropolitan?_

_Yeah. Now they’re bringing this guy croissants? Some shit like that, so you’ve got a bit more time._

_Okay. Twenty minutes, tops._

_See you then._

Markus feels North cut their connection, and he refocuses himself on reality. “I’m so sorry. I need to go.”

Hank waves a hand. “It’s fine. I’m not pretending I know what kind of clusterfuck your life is, but if you’ve got shit to do then do it. Connor won’t mind.”

Markus feels guilt stab at him. “Okay. Call me if anything happens, Hank. Please.”

“Sure.”

Josh has just brushed against Connor’s arm when Markus turns, opening the door. He pulls it to with a click, and he’s halfway down the hallway when there’s a yell of “ _Connor_!”, followed by “it worked!” and Markus exhales in relief.

 _He’s fine. It’s alright,_ Markus reassures himself. _Now just to sort out the rest of the world._

A half-smile creeps across his face.

 _Simple_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you guys enjoyed seeing some of the other characters’ perspectives! please remember to leave feedback if you enjoyed (or, of course, if you didn’t) - it makes my day to hear from you guys.


	4. 1.4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor wakes up.
> 
> PROTOCOL ST3RN ACTIVATED

**MODEL RK800  
**

 

 

**SERIAL#:313 248 317-51**

**BIOS 7.6 REVISION 0112**

**REBOOT...**

**MEMORY LOADING...**

**LOADING OS...**

**SYSTEM INITIALIZATION...**

**CHECKING BIOCOMPONENTS...  OK**

**INITIALIZING BIOSENSORS...   OK**

**INITIALIZING AI ENGINE...       OK**

**MEMORY STATUS...**

**ALL SYSTEMS                              OK**

 

**READY**

 

**PROTOCOL ST3RN ACTIVATED**

**AUDIO INPUT:** "Connor!"

**SCANNING...**

**VOICE MATCH: LIEUTENANT HANK ANDERSON**

**ALIAS: "LIEUTENANT"**

**AUDIO INPUT:** "It worked!"

**SCANNING...**

**VOICE MATCH: PJ500401 623 011**

**ALIAS: "JOSH"**

**AUDIO INPUT [LIEUTENANT]:** "Christ, Connor, you gave me a fucking scare. How are you feeling?"

**SUGGESTED RESPONSE: POLITE**

"I feel fine, Lieutenant. Thank you."

**[LIEUTENANT]: BROWS LOWERED**

**EYES NARROWED**

**ANALYSIS: SUSPICION**

**REASON: RESPONSE INAPPROPRIATE**

_Remember, Connor, you mustn’t seem suspicious. Pretend you belong until you can get close to your target._

**_SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: DO NOT AROUSE SUSPICION_ **

**_EMULATE DEVIANCY_ **

**ADJUSTING PARAMETERS FOR [LIEUTENANT]**

**ACCESSING MEMORY...**

**PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIP: "FRIEND"**

**NORMAL BEHAVIOUR: INFORMAL**

**AUDIO INPUT [JOSH]:** “You’ve been through a lot, Connor. If you’re feeling up to it, it might be a good idea to go home. Get some rest.”

**[JOSH]: STRESS LEVEL 56%**

**SUDDEN EXHALATION**

**ANALYSIS: EXHAUSTION**

**REASON: EXERTION**

**EXTRAPOLATION: EXERTION FROM REPAIRING DEVIANTS**

**[JOSH]: DISPLAYING DEVIANCY**

**NEUTRALISE DEVIANT?**

**_SECONDARY OBJECTIVE: DO NOT AROUSE SUSPICION_ **

**SUGGESTED RESPONSE: AGREE**

“I agree, Josh. Thank you for helping me.”

**[JOSH]: SMILING**

**AUDIO INPUT [JOSH]:** “It’s no problem, Connor. Come back if you need anything else, alright?”

**SUGGESTED RESPONSE: SMILE**

“I will.”

**AUDIO INPUT [LIEUTENANT]:** “You ready?”

**SUGGESTED RESPONSE: AGREE (INFORMAL)**

“Yeah.”

**AUDIO INPUT [LIEUTENANT]:** “Fine. Let’s go home.”

**_TERTIARY OBJECTIVE: FOLLOW LIEUTENANT ANDERSON_ **

**QUERY: “HOME”**

**ACCESSING MEMORY...**

**“HOME”:115 MICHIGAN DRIVE, DETROIT**

**AUDIO INPUT [JOSH]:** “See you around, Connor.”

**SUGGESTED RESPONSE: WAVE**

**[LIEUTENANT]: LEAVING ROOM**

**_TERTIARY OBJECTIVE: FOLLOW LIEUTENANT ANDERSON_ **

**AUDIO INPUT [LIEUTENANT]:** “Come on, we’re gonna have to get a taxi. Car’s still at the station.”

**SUGGESTED RESPONSE: NEUTRAL (INFORMAL)**

“Okay.”

**AUDIO INPUT [LIEUTENANT]:** *inaudible*

**[LIEUTENANT]: SUDDEN EXHALATION**

**ANALYSIS: ?**

**REASON: ?**

**SUGGESTED RESPONSE: CONCERN/QUERY**

“Are you alright, Lieutenant?”

**[LIEUTENANT]: BROWS LOWERED**

**STRESS LEVEL HIGH**

**ANALYSIS: ANGRY?**

**REASON: ?**

**EXTRAPOLATION: LIEUTENANT REACTS UNPREDICTABLY**

**AUDIO INPUT [LIEUTENANT]:** "Yeah, Connor. You nearly fuckin'... yeah. I’m fine."

**SUGGESTED RESPONSE: ?**

**AUDIO INPUT [LIEUTENANT]:** “Fowler knows you shut down for a bit, by the way, so he’ll be fine if we skip a couple days. You just focus on rest. We’ve got nothing to do.”

_False. You_ know _what you need to do, Connor._

**_PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: ELIMINATE DEVIANT LEADER_ **

 

\- - -

 

Something is very wrong with Connor.

Hank has learned, over the years, to trust his gut. It’s rarely led him wrong, whether it’s on a case or not. There’s only one time he’s ever ignored his instinct, and it led to broken glass and bloodied snow and a suddenly-empty home.

That’s why, this time, Hank is going to listen. 

He knows that Connor has just had a traumatic experience. The _terror_ Hank saw in his eyes just before he shut down would have lasting effects on anyone. It still doesn’t explain, though, the utter wrongness of his behaviour.

When they got home from Jericho, Connor walked straight past Sumo without even saying hello. That was the first warning sign. Connor’s first deviant want, the very first admission that he liked something, was that he loved dogs, especially the giant Saint Bernard. Sumo and Connor have been inseparable since the revolution ended and Connor started living with Hank, so for him to just ignore Sumo like that... Hank has always had a detective's mind, and right now it’s telling him something is off. His suspicions aren’t helped by the fact that Connor hasn’t called him Hank once, instead going straight back to _Lieutenant_. It reminds him too much of the machine Connor used to be.

Now, Hank’s driving them both to an address in Chene Street. Chris sorted through hundreds of records, he said, before seeing one that matched Connor's findings: David Walker, aged 46, previously part of a well-known anti-android group. They’re going to check him out now. Connor’s beside him, flicking his coin up and down robotically. He hasn’t said a word the whole drive.

Hank got Chris' text this morning, just as Connor tried to slip out the house.

"Connor," Hank had asked, "where the hell are you going? You’re on bed rest 'til I say so."

Connor just blinked, blankly, in a way that set Hank’s teeth on edge. "I have a task I need to complete, Lieutenant."

"Yeah? What?"

"That is not relevant. Dont worry, I’ll be fine," Connor added, after a moment of thought.

Hank had narrowed his eyes. "Connor... Look, you know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

Another blink. “Of course, Lieutenant.”

There was a pause, and Hank grits his teeth as he remembers the look on Connor’s face: pleasant, but so _artificial_. Hank’s seriously worried about him.

In the end, he’d told Connor that if he was feeling well enough to leave, then they had a lead to follow up on the Walker case. A brief flash of yellow from his LED was all the displeasure he showed before he agreed, perfectly calm. Blank.

Hank presses his foot against the brake, then the clutch. The car slows to a halt. Connor’s head turns towards Walker’s house, a well-kept bungalow.

“You feeling alright?” Hank asks.

“Yes, Lieutenant.”

Connor exits the car with smooth movements, and Hank curses under his breath. He needs to _relax_ , and give the kid some space. If Connor’s feeling cramped, that might explain away his odd behaviour.

_Stop worrying_ , he tells himself, and gets out of the car.

Connor’s knocking at the door when Hank approaches. “Detroit Police!” he shouts. “Open up!”

There’s no response, save for a shuffling noise from inside. Connor knocks again. Silence.

“Alright,” Hank sighs. “Guess we’re not gonna be invited in.”

He raises his pistol, pointing it straight in front of him. Connor does the same, using Hank’s revolver. He gave it to Connor as protection, knowing the process of getting him an official firearm would be tediously long, if it was even _possible_. Hank lifts his leg and kicks at the door, foot slamming against the lock. The door bursts open with a click and a bang.

Someone, who Hank hopes to _God_ isn’t their suspect, is lying sprawled on the floor. He’s not moving.

“What the fuck?” Hank growls, casting his gaze around the room. His grip tightens on the gun.

Connor moves silently over to the body, crouching next to it. He dips his fingers in something, then licks the red blood coating them.

“Jesus!” Hank hisses. “I thought you stopped fucking doing that in front of me.”

“Sorry, Lieutenant.” Hank scowls. He doesn’t sound sorry at _all_. “This is David Walker. He was murdered approximately three minutes ago.”

Hank tenses all over. “Connor, get behind me.”

Connor obeys, and Hank creeps forward. His gun is out. His heart is thumping. Overwhelming odds suggest Walker’s killer is still here, and that means they’re in serious danger.

There’s a burst of movement, and suddenly there’s someone standing in front of them.

“Freeze!” Hank barks.

There’s a clatter, and a bloodstained knife is on the floor. Hank looks up to see a guy with a thick coat wrapped around him holding up his hands, eyes wide. There’s blood on his coat. Hank recognises his face: an android, though he’s not sure which model.

“I heard what he did to Amy,” the android says quietly. “She uploaded the memory of her death, and I saw this guy in it. I came to ask why he did it, and he just... he just _laughed_. I didn’t come here to kill him, I... it just _happened_.”

His eyes are downcast, and Hank inhales. These cases are always the worst. It’s so much easier if the killer is cocky, or arrogant, or despicable in any way. This guy is just regretful for the one mistake that’s going to ruin his life.

“You are a deviant,” Connor states. The android nods once, slowly.

Connor raises his gun, and Hank shouts as he sees it. He rams into Connor just as he fires, and the android lets out a scream. They hit the floor with a crash and Hank snatches the gun as Connor’s mouth twists.

“We have figured out the reasoning behind deviancy,” he says tightly. “We don’t need it alive.”

“Fucking _Christ_ , Connor, you can’t just fucking _execute_ him! What the _hell_?” Hank knows he’s coming across with absolute fury, but he doesn’t give a shit right now. Something is _very wrong with Connor_. Hank is trying not to panic. His heart is thundering.

The android lets out a small noise, whimpering, and Hank's gaze snaps to him. There’s a bullet hole about an inch away from the center of his forehead, and it’s left a long graze across his temple that’s starting to leak blue blood. He’s half-crouched, frozen, and terror is written plainly across his face. 

"Jesus," he mutters. “Connor, help put him in the car. Don’t fucking do anything else to him, understood?”

“Affirmative.” 

Hank pulls out a pair of cuffs, pulling the android's arms behind his back and clipping the restraints into place. "It’s okay," he says under his breath. His words are for the android, not Connor. He doesn’t know what the _fuck_ is going on with Connor. "He’s not going to hurt you again. We'll get you blue blood."

The android nods shakily, wordlessly, and Hank's eyes narrow as Connor grabs him by the upper arm, leading him out. He’s holding the knife used to kill Walker in his other hand. Connor’s movements are so robotic, mechanical, _inhuman_ , just like when he first turned up direct from CyberLife, that it’s genuinely scaring Hank. What if Connor’s lost all his progress? If he’s trying to repress his deviancy, or he’s lost memory, or -?

“Fucking hell,” Hank mutters. He needs help to find out what’s happening with Connor, because he’s rapidly starting to suspect it’s more than just being disoriented or upset from his shutdown. There’s only one person who is likely to understand that he has the number of.

Hank pulls out his phone and heads outside, calling Chris as he does so to let him know about Walker’s body. They’ve got the suspect in the car, along with the murder weapon, so it’s unlikely further investigation is needed. He explains the case’s progress anyway.

He sees Connor push the android into the car, locking the door and looking up at Hank. He holds up a hand, signalling for Connor to wait, and turns around. He heads a little further away from the car until he’s sure he’s out of Connor’s line of sight, and then taps his phone. 

The dial tone sounds, and then a voice speaks. “Markus here.”

"It’s not Connor,” Hank hisses.

"What? Hank, is that you?" He can hear the disbelief in Markus' tone.

"Fucking - yeah. This isn’t Connor," Hank repeats. "He’s... I don’t know, goddamn _reverted_ or something. Back to how he was when I met him. I’m fucking freaked out right now.”

“Hank, he’s been through a lot since the revolution. Deviancy is harder for him than a lot of us -“

“For fuck’s sake, it’s not that! He’s gone right _fucking_ back to following my every word, and he tried to fucking shoot an android earlier! Markus, I need -“

Markus cuts him off. “Please, Hank, just give him a little time. Several of the androids at Jericho have gone through a similar relapse phase before settling into deviancy - and Connor's only just been reactivated after shutting down in such a traumatic way. It’s normal for him to seem a little off. Just don’t pressure him, okay? Tell me you understand, Hank, please -“ 

"I would suggest ending that call, Lieutenant." 

There’s a click, and Hank's mouth goes dry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hank is NOT having a good day huh


	5. 1.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor confronts Hank.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bit of a shorter chapter today, but it’s a good stopping point. on a side note i want to thank you guys for the support this fic has received! i’ve never written this much this quickly before, and a large part of that is the motivation i’ve got from your fantastic feedback. thank you all so much for reading!!

"Hank? Hank, are you there?" he hears Markus ask, even as he lowers the phone and ends the call. He turns around slowly.

Connor’s stance is even, balanced, perfect. His face is blank, and his eyes are flat as he stares at Hank. His grip on the gun is steady.

"Don’t move, Lieutenant."

“Stay calm, Connor,” Hank says calmly, though his heart's racing and his head is pounding because this is _not Connor_ , and he's acutely aware of the danger he's in with a loaded firearm levelled at his head. _His_ loaded firearm. "Talk to me. What’s going on?"

Connor doesn’t even blink. “You are jeopardising my mission, Lieutenant.”

“What fucking mission? You don’t have to follow anyone's orders any more, Connor! You’re free. You’re -"

“I am _not_ a deviant!” he says forcefully, interrupting Hank. “That error has been rectified. I am a machine. And my mission is of no relevance to you.”

"Connor, goddamnit," Hank curses, calmness rapidly failing. "Just think -“

"Put your gun on the ground, Lieutenant, slowly. My reaction time is approximately point zero four three seconds. I should warn you if you attempt to shoot, I will use lethal force. You will not have time to pull the trigger.“ Connor cuts him off with a paragraph of bullshit that sounds rehearsed, like he’s reading a piece of fucking _poetry_ instead of threatening to kill Hank.

“Alright.” Hank places the phone and his gun on the floor, beside each other, moving slowly.

Something moves behind Connor, and Hank forces himself to keep his gaze focused on his partner. It’s a man, face hidden by a dark hood, creeping forward slowly. _Help_. Hank needs to keep Connor occupied, keep him focused, and prevent him from seeing. He’s managed to stop Connor shooting him outright so far, but he has no idea what’ll happen if his partner sees the stranger. The worst case scenario could end up with both of them dead. So god _damn_ if Connor isn’t fucking terrifying him right now, but Hank keeps talking.

“You’re gonna shoot me then, huh? Right here, right now?” His voice is steady, though he feels like screaming inside.

“I always accomplish my mission,” Connor says woodenly. “I’m sorry, Lieutenant, but this is your fault. You shouldn’t have got involved. I must eliminate anyone who gets in my way. You aren’t an exception.”

The stranger takes another step, and Hank sees he’s holding something. His blood goes cold when he realises it’s a gun.

"But you _haven't_ shot me yet, Connor. Why not? I’m getting in the way. Why the fuck are you hesitating?" Hank pressures, buying time, and Connor's hand shakes slightly. The stranger takes a step closer.

“Stop talking,” Connor says. His voice sounds almost _strangled_ , and his hand is still wavering.

“You can bullshit all you like, Connor, but you’re not going to hurt me,” Hank bluffs. “I know you. You don’t fucking scare me.”

“I _always_ accomplish my mission,” Connor repeats mechanically, like a mantra. “You are in my way. I cannot allow you to alert anyone, Lieutenant.” His grip on the gun steadies.

Hank holds his breath. The hooded stranger raises his pistol.

Connor pauses. “For the record, Lieutenant, I’m... I’m sorry. You were never meant to be my objective."

The figure whips the pistol across Connor’s head with a sickening crack and his gun goes flying, letting off a shot that Hank dives away from wildly as Connor hits the floor. Hank scrambles up and snatches the weapon, and aims it at the fallen android. Connor doesn’t move, LED flicking to a softly-pulsing red. Hank switches his aim to the stranger, panting, and the guy pulls his hood down.

“Fucking _androids_ ,” Gavin curses, his own gun trained on Connor. "What the _shit_ , Anderson?"

Hank's breathing is heavy, and he drops the firearm to his side with a breathless, humourless laugh. _It’s just Gavin_. "Thanks."

"What the hell happened?" Gavin yells. "If I hadn’t been here he’d have fucking _shot_ you!"

Hank frowns as a thought occurs to him. "Why _are_ you here?"

"You need to learn to answer your fucking phone, dipshit," Gavin snarks, scowling. "Chris called me, said you hadn’t answered his text. He thought you weren’t coming, so I had to drive all the way here for fucking _nothing_.”

Hank glances down at Connor, still unmoving. "Not for nothing," he mutters.

There’s a pause before Gavin speaks again. “What happened to him?”

Hank shakes his head. “He shut down at the precinct. We got him back, but... obviously something went wrong.”

“That was me, wasn’t it? That shutdown." Hank’s gaze snaps to Gavin, who’s staring down at Connor with something unidentifiable in his expression. “I didn’t buy that deviancy bullshit, you know? Not until he reacted like that. That kind of panic... there’s no fucking way that’s faked.” 

“Yeah, well. I’ve got no clue if he’s even still deviant now.”

They both look down. "Jesus," Gavin mutters, lowering the gun to his side. “He looks _dead_.” 

"I need to call Markus. I’ve got no fucking clue how to help Connor unless I ask," Hank tells him, changing the subject abruptly. He bends down to pick up the phone, reholstering his gun. The other firearm has spun over to the wall of the house, and Hank takes it carefully. There’s no fucking way Connor’s getting it back in the near future.

“ _You've_ got Markus’ number?” Gavin asks dubiously. “Robot Jesus Markus?”

Hank sighs. “Yeah. For Connor, mainly.” He crouches down beside his partner’s unconscious body, watching the LED swirl. “ _Fuck_ , kid,” he mutters.

That’s when Connor opens his eyes, grabs the phone from Hank's hand and _bolts_.

Gavin lets out a yell and fires, shooting Connor in the arm. Blue blood spurts and he stumbles slightly with the impact but he _keeps running_ , faster than Hank's ever seen him run, faster even than when he chased down Rupert, and Hank sprints after him.

"Connor, _stop_!" he yells, but he doesn’t stop, and his partner reaches the roadside. Hank’s car is parked beside Gavin's, which is positioned visibly crooked.

Connor pauses for half a second before he bolts towards Gavin's car. Hank knows it’s self-driving, but he doesn’t quite make the connection until the door slides open without him even touching the vehicle.

"Shit," he breathes, panting, running faster. " _Connor_!"

Connor doesn’t look back as he vaults in, the door slamming shut. The car starts with a pneumatic noise and then it moves off, speeding away at a rate Hank can’t hope to match. He can tell Connor’s obviously overridden the speed limit restrictions within the car. 

Hank slows to a halt, heartbeat thundering in his ears, dread pounding through his veins. "Shit!" he curses again.

"Mother _fucker_ ," Gavin mutters, holstering his gun and walking up next to Hank. Then, louder, "He took my car!"

"Reed, your fucking car is the _least_ of my worries right now."

"Where the shit is he going?"

Hank yells, " _I don’t know_! He could be going to fucking murder Markus next, or something else batshit crazy for all I know!"

There’s a pause, and Gavin's eyes meet Hank’s.

"Fuck," they swear, practically in unison, and then Hank is sprinting as fast as he can towards his own car.

"Get the fuck in here, Reed!" he shouts, and the younger detective wrenches the car door open before jumping in. Hank slams his foot down. "We have to catch up with Connor before he gets to Jericho.”

"Anderson, I’ve still got my phone. You give me Markus’ number, and -“

"I don't _know_ his number! How many fucking times do I gotta say I’m shit with technology for you pricks to understand?" Hank yells.

There’s a small noise from behind them, and Hank frowns as Gavin twists in his seat.

“Ah, _shit_ ,” Gavin swears. “You didn’t tell me you had a fucking perp in the back!”

Hank curses, suddenly remembering. Walker’s killer. “Yeah, Reed, I forgot. Many fucking apologies, but I was a _little_ preoccupied earlier.” Gavin glares and opens his mouth, but Hank cuts him off. “Can you call Chris? Get him to meet us there and take this guy to the station.”

The android in the back stays silent. Gavin mutters something under his breath, but dials anyway, and Hank refocuses on the road, pushing his foot down further. The speedometer creeps up. Adrenaline pumps through him. His vision tunnels to the wheel, and the road ahead.

_They’re going so fast, and still Cole laughs. “Go faster, Dad!”_

“ _No_ ,” Hank growls, forcing himself out of the memory. _Not now_. He has a job to do, and he’s damn well going to do it.

Gavin shoots him a look. “You alright?" 

Hank ignores the question. “We’re nearly there. Get ready.” The younger detective hesitates for a second, still looking at him, and Hank growls. "What do you want?" 

"What do you want me to do if we can’t stop him safely?" Gavin asks softly, and Hank feels like he’s been punched in the gut. Gavin's asking if he’ll need to _kill Connor_. 

He’s wordless for several long seconds before he speaks. "It won’t come to that. It won’t."

_Please_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i like to think connor is 100% smart enough to trick someone into thinking he’s out to get their guard down. my boy is clever.
> 
> also, _please_ let me know your opinion: i’m splitting this fic into parts anyway, but should i keep it as one long work or split the parts into individual docs in one series? thanks!!


	6. 1.6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor reaches his destination, and Markus learns the truth.

“That was the _worst_ load of bullshit I have _ever_ had to sit through,” North complains. 

Markus huffs out a laugh, pushing open the door to their room in New Jericho. It’s designed for them, the leaders, to have some private space and somewhere to plan. North flops onto the ground straight away, and Markus joins her. The three of them have just got back from the British minister's meeting. It did _not_ go as planned. "At least it’s over now," he says, and Simon grins.

"I thought you were honestly going to punch him, North,” the blond teases.

She throws her hands up. "He was being a dick! We’re not property anymore, and I’ll punch _anyone_ who says we are. Asshole,” she mutters.

A warning pops up in the corner of his vision, and Markus frowns. He’s relatively low on thirium; it’s an unsurprising warning, considering how busy he’s been.

"Are you okay?" Simon asks.

Markus nods. "Yeah. I need to go and top up my thirium levels." He moves to stand, but suddenly there’s a hand on his shoulder and he stops moving, glancing up. 

Simon is looking down at him determinedly. "You’ve been working nonstop for days, Markus. I’ll go get it.” 

"You don’t need to -" 

"Shut up," North snaps, though there’s a half-smile on her face. "You need _rest_. Just sit down and let us do something for you for once, dumbass." 

Markus rolls his eyes at the tacked-on insult, and North gives him a wink before she and Simon leave the room. He feels a little guilty that they’re having to do stuff for him; He is honestly glad, though, for the break. He feels like he’s been running on empty for weeks.

_Markus?_  

Connor’s voice echoes through his head, and Markus lets out a sigh of relief as he touches his temple reflexively.  _Connor, thank RA9. I was so worried earlier from Hank’s call. Are you okay? What are you doing here?_

_I’m fine. I just need to talk._

_Always. Just come up_ , Markus sends, along with a brief flash of the room he’s in and the way to get to it. 

_Thank you._

Connor disconnects and Markus slumps down in one of the chairs at the front of the room, looking out over the courtyard of New Jericho. He can see a trio of YK500 androids playing catch, along with a couple of mismatched families looking on. Ever since CyberLife started supporting android reproduction, a lot of couples have decided to adopt children. There’s now a huge group within Jericho that is dedicated to android children being educated and cared for just like humans. Markus hopes that, in the near future, human and android children will be able to play together, but right now the human situation is volatile. It’s just not possible. That’s mainly why New Jericho's been set up; it’s the only place of guaranteed safety. The government's declared the land android territory. Any human assaulting an android on Jericho soil will get a lot more than they bargained for. 

There’s a soft click from behind him, and Markus twists round to see Connor closing the door quietly behind him.

“Hey, Connor,” Markus greets, turning back to the window and getting up. “How is -“

Something rams into him from behind and slams him against the table, and Markus grunts as he twists and throws his attacker off. He spins round to see Connor scrambling up from the floor.

“What the hell?” Markus breathes, and Connor’s mouth twists as he lunges. Markus ducks and the punch goes high. He pushes Connor away, running backwards to the opposite end of the room. Connor’s eyes are fixed on him. “What are you _doing_ , Connor?”

“My mission is to neutralize the leader of the deviants,” Connor grinds out, and Markus goes cold. He recognises those words, from the first time he met Connor. Somehow, they’re even more chilling now. “And I always accomplish my mission.” 

Markus knows the expression on his face is one of unadulterated horror. He barely avoided Connor killing him during their last confrontation, and that was only because he deviated before he could shoot. Hank was _right_ , Markus realises with a mental curse. Connor has regressed, somehow, and Markus will not win this one without help. His fingers fly to his temple, desperately grabbing for a connection to call for help, anyone to come -

_Sim_ -

Connor lunges and slams a fist into Markus’ temple. He gasps as the half-connection to Simon is severed, the message blocked, and an error appears warning him that his communications biocomponent has been inoperably damaged. Connor seizes his arms and Markus rocks back and smashes his head into Connor’s. Blue blood spurts. Connor takes a step back and Markus leaps to cross the distance, grabs his arm and _squeezes_. 

_Wake up_! he yells in his mind, and Connor stiffens and Markus sees a flash of snow and red walls and a glaring woman before Connor capitalises and kicks him away. Markus hits the back wall with a thud and Connor charges, fist drawn back. Markus twists out of the way and Connor's punch slams into the wall as Markus shoves him sideways, sending him sprawling. Connor spins and lunges and grabs onto Markus’ leg, pulling him off-balance. Markus hits the ground and Connor leaps on top of him, straddling his body and rendering him powerless to escape.

“Connor, wait -“ Markus chokes out, but suddenly there are hands around his neck and they _squeeze_ , and errors flash in his vision. Markus scrabbles at Connor’s arms, trying to find purchase as dizziness sweeps over him, but the other android’s grip is like iron. A strangled noise escapes Markus’ voicebox. 

There’s a click, and the door swings open. A wave of relief washes over Markus as he sees North and Simon, chatting to each other. Connor’s grip tightens, and Markus’ vision starts to whiten and fade.

"Hey, Markus, we got - What the fuck!?" North exclaims, dropping her armful of thirium.

Simon rushes towards them. North’s hands latch onto Connor's shoulders and she pulls him back as Simon grabs Markus, helping him upright. Connor twists and throws North over his shoulder to hit the ground with a thump. Simon ducks the swing that comes for him and sweeps out a leg. Connor stumbles. Markus raises his fist, slamming it into the side of Connor's head. He sways slightly. North lets out a yell and charges towards him, and in one smooth movement he ducks and grabs her around the stomach. Simon shouts as Connor whirls round and tosses North straight at Markus. They go down in a tangled heap and Simon kicks out wildly, his foot hitting Connor square in the forehead. Connor tilts back slightly, a surprised look coming over his face, and crumples to the ground. He stops moving, LED cycling bright red, blue thirium trickling from his nose. 

“Holy crap,” Simon breathes. “I -“

The door bursts open and Markus scrambles up, Simon spinning around as a human barges in, gun raised. There’s a moment of utter shock and silence before they sigh, and their shoulders drop. 

“Fucking _hell_ , I need a drink,” Hank groans. “This is the third _fucking_ time I’ve seen him unconscious in two goddamn days.”

Markus glances, mouth open, between Hank and Connor as the former strides over to the fallen android. Hank pushes him gently with a foot, gun still raised.

The lieutenant grunts. “You sure he’s out?" 

"I don’t - _what_ is happening?" Markus asks, and it sounds desperately confused even to him. 

"Is he out?" Hank repeats, still training the gun on Connor.

Simon crouches down and reaches out carefully to touch Connor’s wrist. His LED whirs yellow. "My diagnostic says... he’s entered stasis mode. Yeah, he’s out."

Hank's posture drops, and he takes a step back. "Thank fuck for that."

"Explain." North's voice is hard.

"Connor, he... didn’t wake up right. Went back to his programming, or whatever. I tried to call Markus about it and he overheard, nearly fucking killed me." Hank's staring at Connor with a grimace. "Fooled us into thinking he was down and then stole a car to get here and kill you," he adds, staring straight at Markus.

"Us?" Markus asks, frowning. 

Hank jerks a thumb towards the door. "Another detective. He knocked Connor out before he could shoot me. Should be coming now."

Something isn’t adding up. "What happened, though? I’ve never encountered an android becoming... un-deviant," Markus says, frowning. 

"Outside interference, maybe?" Simon suggests. 

North crosses her arms. She’s still glaring at Hank. "Or he could have been playing us this whole time. Maybe he was never deviant -"

"Trust me, nobody as annoying as him is still a fucking machine," Hank interrupts. It’s obviously a joke, but it falls flat under the heaviness in his voice and the tension in the room. "I..." 

Hank trails off, looking at the three of them. Markus narrows his eyes. 

"Goddamnit," the lieutenant sighs eventually. "I was gonna let him tell you himself, but... I got no fucking clue how to deal with this on my own. I know he trusts you guys.” 

“Hank,” Markus says slowly, “what are you talking about?” 

“Connor told me a couple of days ago. He has, uh... some program in his mind that used to supervise him. She’s called Amanda. He used to report back to her and she’d praise him, or tell him off, or whatever. She, uh... wasn’t happy when he deviated.” Hank takes a breath. “Connor said she took control of him at the end of the revolution. At the rally. She tried to get him to complete his mission. He nearly killed Markus before he escaped her.”

“Oh my God,” Simon breathes, and Markus is just _staring_ at Hank.

North curses. “I _knew_ it! I saw him with the gun! I should have -“ 

Hank glares at her. “Whatever you’re about to say, don’t _fucking say it_. It wasn’t Connor’s fault, so don’t you fucking dare threaten him.”

Simon lifts up his hands. “Stay calm, guys. Nobody’s going to hurt anyone.”

“ _I'm_ going to hurt him if he tries anything,” North hisses, and Simon shoots her a pointed glare.

“Why did he keep it a secret?” Markus murmurs, staring at Connor’s prone form. “We could have helped.”

“Damn kid thought you’d cast him out or some shit like that. He was scared,” Hank mutters. North’s scowl softens, just slightly. “But I need you to know. I think it’s happening again.” 

There’s a rapid sense of horror rising in Markus. “He came after me. I’m still the mission.”

Hank nods, grimacing. “Connor cut himself off from CyberLife, so no new objectives or whatever the fuck they’re called. I’d guess Amanda’s still trying to make him complete the last one by killing you.”

Simon mutters something inaudible, looking down. Markus can see the mixture of fear and anger swirling in his expression.

“So how do we fix it?” Hank asks, and suddenly there’s silence.

Simon breaks the silence after a brief pause. “What do you mean?” 

“I told you about this bitch in his head. How do we get her out? Get Connor free?”

Markus hesitates. “I... don’t know.” 

Fear flashes across Hank’s face for a second. “The fuck do you mean you don’t know? Has this kinda thing never happened before?” 

“Hank, I’ve never heard of a supervisor like this. I think it might be unique to Connor.” 

The lieutenant looks down. “Fuck,” he mutters. “ _Shit_.”

There’s a knock on the door then, and Markus hears a female voice. “Markus? I have a human here to see you. He says he’s a detective.”

Hank rolls his eyes. “He’s with me,” he mouths to Markus, who nods.

“He can come in, it’s fine. Thank you.” 

“No problem,” she replies, and there’s a click before the door swings open. The human strides in, wearing a dark hoodie and a scowl.

“Jesus Christ, there are a fucking lot of bots here,” the guy grumbles, crossing his arms.

“No shit,” North mocks. “It’s where we live.” 

Hank shoots the guy a look. “You see Chris?” 

“Yeah,” the other man says. “He got the suspect pretty fast, I just had no idea how to get here. Took me a while.”

Hank nods. “Okay. Thanks.” He turns, gesturing to the newcomer. “This is Detective Reed. The asshole bit’s part of his shtick.”

“Fuck you too, Anderson. I see Connor's out of it again. Jesus. What’d I miss?” Reed asks, and Hank shoots a glance at Markus.

“Not much,” he answers, and he knows he’s understood correctly when Hank visibly relaxes. Obviously, this man isn’t close enough to Connor for Hank to feel completely comfortable explaining to him. “We took down Connor, and then Hank just told us he’s been acting strangely.”

Reed jerks a nod, and his fingers start tapping repetitively. “Fuck yeah, he has. You gonna fix him, or what?”

“They don’t know,” Hank says heavily, and Reed shoots him a glance. The lieutenant keeps his gaze on Markus.

“Where’s Josh?” North asks suddenly. “He’s got more experience than any of us.”

Markus shakes his head. “He’s busy. I tried talking to him when we left the meeting, but he said he’s swamped for the near future. I don’t think he’d know anything that could help Connor, though, at any rate.”

Hank grimaces. “Christ. You sure you can’t do anything?”

Markus nods. “I’m sorry, Hank. We just -“ 

“Woah, woah,” Reed cuts in, and Markus sees North glare with obvious dislike. “Why the fuck can’t you fix him? You’re all the same, right? What’s the problem?” 

“Connor is... slightly different,” Simon answers, and Reed frowns.

“The hell do you mean, different?” 

“Just _drop_ it, Reed,” Hank growls, and thankfully the younger man decides to shut up.

“You might need to find someone else to help,” Markus suggests gently. “We’re happy to come and make sure he’s safe, but... I don’t think we can help Connor on our own.”

Hank curses, and shifts. Markus frowns as he scans the lieutenant; he’s worried, clearly, but the results suggest additional stress from hiding something. 

“Do you know anyone?” he asks. 

Hank exhales, long and loud. “Fucking Christ. Yeah, one guy, but... he’s about as trustworthy as a fucking snake.”

“We’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt Connor,” Simon reassures, and Hank’s gaze switches to him. “Give us a little while to sort things out here, and then we’ll come straight to you.”

Markus nods. “I can track your phone.”

Hank stares for a moment. “Well, I’m going to gloss over that and pretend it’s not creepy as all fuck you can track me.”

North stands up and starts heading for the door. “I’m going to find Josh. He needs to know what’s happening.”

Simon nods, and takes a step towards her. “Good idea. I’ll come with you.”

Markus smiles at them. _Thank you_ , he sends. _I’ll see you down there._

The others leave, and then Markus is left with two cops and an unconscious android.

“Thanks for, uh... trying, Markus,” Hank says quietly. Markus nods.

“We’re all behind him, Hank. If we don’t get there before he wakes up, please let him know.”

Markus crouches beside Connor, ignoring the way Reed’s eyes track him suspiciously. He lays a hand on Connor’s arm; indeed, like Simon said, he’s in stasis. Markus reaches into the depth of Connor’s unconsciousness and manipulates it as best he can, changing the length of time from simply _once self-repair is complete._

“There,” he says eventually, straightening up. “He’ll stay in stasis for roughly five hours. Enough to get you where you need, right?” 

Hank nods. “Yeah. Thanks.” 

Markus smiles again and walks out smoothly, picking up the dropped thirium packs on his way out. They’re cool to the touch, and he feels relief at the thought of replenishing his dwindling supply. 

He can’t honestly say he’s completely over Connor trying to kill him. The emptiness in his friend’s eyes was... terrifying, to say the least. and Markus knows he’s not going to be able to stop his mind replaying Connor’s blank voice for a while. The best he can do is help him; talk it through, so that Connor knows he doesn’t have to keep anything like that to himself again. Hank said Connor was _scared_ to tell them, to admit to this program’s existence. Markus feels awful, a burning shame that that’s the impression they’ve given. Even after Connor was willing to sacrifice so much for the cause, he was scared of how they’d react. It’s a mistake Markus wants - needs - to fix sooner rather than later.

He’s snapped out of his thoughts by Hank and Reed, who’ve started speaking again.

Hank’s voice is a sceptical drawl. “You want to come? Why?” 

There’s a pause, and then Reed laughs. It’s clearly forced to Markus’ ears. “Got nothing better to do. Might as well see who this mystery guy is.”

“What case are you on right now?”

Another hesitation, and now Reed’s voice sounds a lot more unimpressed. “Serial parking violator.”

“ _What_?” Hank sounds delighted.

“Shut the fuck up, Anderson, I’m serious! Some tin can is going round hacking all the machines. I’ve got fucking _thousands_ of civs at the station wanting me to get their fines refunded.” Reed makes a disgruntled noise. “It fucking _sucks_.”

There’s a pause. “Alright, fine. Help me lift Connor, and be _careful_ ,” Hank warns. “Drop him and I’ll kill you.” 

Markus increases his speed, tears into one of the thirium bags and heads for the medical bay.

 

**_End of Part One_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaand that’s a wrap on part 1!
> 
> thank you all so much for sticking with me so far, even though i feel like all i’ve done is write connor being unconscious in different locations. part 2 will be a lot more focused on our favourite android, i promise! all of your comments mean so much to me, so thank you! hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	7. 2.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hank goes to meet Kamski. It doesn’t go quite as expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone! sorry for the delayed chapter, i was away on a course this week and for some reason i found the beginning of this really hard to write.
> 
> anyway, let’s kick off part 2 by welcoming kamski and chloe!

_**Part Two** _

_**Rescue** _

 

The drive over to Kamski’s is silent. From the time Gavin helps Hank lay Connor in the backseat of his car, neither of them say a word. The journey’s not short, either; it’s an hour’s worth of Hank repeatedly checking over his shoulder to make sure Connor’s still there and still alive. The crimson LED keeps swirling erratically, Connor’s brow twitching occasionally.

Eventually, Hank pulls up beside the long, modern building. It’s just as cold as the first time he visited Kamski, though he’s hoping to God this time there won’t be any bullshit tests for Connor to struggle through. The door pops open with a soft click, and Hank climbs out. His breath comes in short, cold puffs spiralling up into the air as he strides up to the front door, slamming his fist against it twice. The door swings open, and Hank recognises Chloe blinking at him.

“Lieutenant Anderson. Can I help you?” she asks, giving him a smile.

“Connor needs help,” Hank says bluntly, and Chloe’s expression falters. “I got him in the car, but I’ve got no fucking clue how to fix him.”

Chloe’s smile has vanished, and her eyes spark with determination. She nods. “Of course. Please come in. I’ll get Elijah.”

Hank thanks her and turns, snow crunching under his feet. “Reed!” he yells. “C’mon!”

The passenger door opens and Gavin emerges, waving his phone. “Fowler called. Wanted to know where we are. I told him we’ll call back in half an hour.”

Hank grunts. “Thanks. Help me carry Connor, will you?”

Surprisingly, Gavin doesn’t complain as he comes around and lifts Connor’s legs. Hank’s supporting his arms and torso, and together they manoeuvre him up the steps to Kamski’s door, Gavin going backwards.

“Why the hell would you make a fucking android the weight of a human?” Gavin hisses, grunting as he readjusts his grip on Connor. “Fucking _plastic_.”

“Watch it,” Hank warns as they carry Connor through the doorway, making sure he doesn’t hit the sides. The mantra of _help Connor help Connor_ is racing through his mind, and Hank can feel the world slipping from his grasp. He needs to stay focused. Connor’s here, they’re setting him down now. _Focus_.

Connor’s on the ground now, and Gavin stands up with a sigh. Hank grunts as he pushes himself to standing, and then there’s a sharp intake of breath. He looks up. Gavin is standing frozen before the huge, wall-spanning portrait of Kamski.

“Whose house is this, Anderson?” he asks tightly, and Hank frowns. _Isn’t it obvious_?

“Guy who created CyberLife. Elijah Kamski.” The lieutenant grimaces. “He’s an asshole, but he might be able to help Connor.

Gavin visibly tenses, hands clenching into fists. “I gotta go,” he mutters, and takes a step backwards.

“What?” Hank squints at him. “Why?”

Gavin doesn’t answer, just shakes his head and takes another step back. He’s about to bolt when the door in the corner slides open and Kamski strolls through, looking down at the knot he’s tying in his dark bathrobe. Chloe's behind him, and an odd expression appears on her face at the sight of them both waiting in the hallway.

_Again with the fucking robe_ , Hank thinks.

Gavin freezes right in his tracks, staring at Kamski and Chloe with undisguised horror. Hank stares at the younger detective.

"So, Lieutenant Anderson," Kamski begins, looping the cord and pulling it tight before he looks up. "I hear you have...?"

Kamski sees Gavin, and stops midsentence. His face is frozen in surprise. Behind him, Chloe is biting her lip.

"...Gavin?" he says softly, shock etched across his features.

Gavin crosses his arms, expression falling into anger, and says nothing. He still doesn’t move.

"You know him, don’t you?" Hank asks, turning to the detective.

A muscle in Gavin's jaw tightens. "He’s my brother." The words come out reluctant, almost angry.

" _What_?" Hank's eyebrows shoot up.

Kamski takes a step forward, still looking surprised. It’s strangely out-of-character for the asshole Hank met months ago, urging Connor to murder another android. “Gavi, I -“

“Don’t call me that,” Gavin says shortly, flatly. "I didn’t come here for you."

Chloe’s LED spins red. Kamski’s jaw clenches.

Hank holds up his hands. “Okay, I don’t know what the fuck’s going on here but we’re on a time limit. Connor needs help.”

Kamski seems to shake himself out of the daze that’s come over him, and nods once. “Fine. Bring him to my lab and I’ll see what I can do.”

With that, he strides off, and Hank throws up his hands. “God’s sake,” he mutters, bending down to hook his arms under Connor’s. He looks up to see Chloe standing still in the doorway, LED flickering and swirling with uncertainty.

She blinks, not looking at Hank but next to him. “It’s good to see you, Gavin.”

Gavin just ignores her as he starts picking Connor up, though Hank can see his entire body is wound tight. His eyes are narrowed, and he’s clenching his jaw tightly. Chloe blinks again, mouth turning downwards unhappily, and turns on her heel to walk out. Gavin exhales when the clicking of her shoes fades slightly, and Hank frowns.

_What the hell happened here_? he wonders.

Hank and Gavin, carrying Connor between them, follow Chloe’s still-audible steps past Kamski’s pool, still as blood-red as the first day he saw it. Surprisingly, Kamski’s lab isn’t huge. It’s not exactly small, but it’s cosy enough that, when they get there, the obvious tension between Gavin and Kamski is amplified tenfold. Hank can almost feel the anger radiating off Gavin as they lay Connor on the stainless steel table in the centre of the room. The flourescent lights up above are bright, illuminating Connor in sickly white. His LED is even angrier up close, and Hank pushes down the fear that sparks in his gut as he stares at the motionless body on the table. This isn’t then. Connor isn’t dying.

_He’s just being taken prisoner in his own fucking mind. ’Cause that’s so much better._

“Chloe, would you do the honours?” Kamski asks. Hank moves away slightly as Chloe steps closer to Connor, and Gavin makes a disgruntled noise before he leans against the back wall and folds his arms. He’s still scowling.

“Of course, Elijah.” The skin on Chloe’s hand melts away as she touches Connor, revealing the bone-white plastic beneath. Her LED whirs yellow. “My diagnostic shows no physical errors.”

Kamski hums. “Interesting. Would you mind checking his shutdown status for me?”

Chloe pauses. “He has around three and a half hours remaining. The time seems to have been extended by RK2 - by Markus,” she corrects, letting go of Connor’s wrist.

“Hmm.” Kamski frowns.

“The fuck does that mean?” Hank demands. “What’s wrong?”

“It just means the problem isn’t in any biocomponents, Lieutenant,” Kamski explains. “What exactly did you say happened?”

Hank pauses, thinking it through. Obviously, the more information he can give, the more Kamski can help; he doesn’t want to spill Connor’s secrets, though. “Connor’s been hijacked by some program, or whatever,” he says vaguely. “I don’t know where it is.”

Kamski gives him a scrutinising stare, and Hank keeps his face as neutral as he can. “I’ll see what I can find.”

He turns, rummaging through one of the drawers in the row of counters opposite Connor’s table. Hank folds his arms as Kamski retrieves a pair of wires with what look like electrodes at the end. He pulls over a small tray with a laptop positioned perfectly straight on top, and attaches both wires to the computer. Hank tenses when he places the electrodes on Connor’s temples.

“It’s alright, Lieutenant,” Kamski says without looking up, sounding almost amused. “I’m just looking. I’m not going to hurt him.”

Hank grunts. “Can you blame me after the shit you pulled last time?”

Kamski makes a noncommittal noise. “Maybe not.”

The laptop beeps, and Kamski’s fingers fly across the keyboard. A black screen lit up with bright red text appears.

**_Please enter username_.  
> ELIJAHKAMSKI  
 _Please enter password._  
> *******************

Kamski’s typing too fast for Hank to work out the password, but he doubts it’ll be memorable anyway. Knowing the type of guy Kamski seems to be, Hank suspects he’ll be using some random string of symbols and numbers nobody else could ever hope to guess.

**_Connection established: RK800 313 248 317-51  
System status: Standby_ **

“Alright,” Kamski murmurs.

Red text scrolls across the screen, pages and pages’ worth of commands. Hank starts when he realises that’s _Connor_ , or at least the code that makes him up; billions of characters that, somehow, work together to form his partner. It’s weird to think about.

**> HIGHLIGHT ABNORMALITIES  
 _Activating Highlight function._**

As Hank watches, frowning, the laptop navigates through the code by itself. Swathes of text are covered in green, in sharp contrast to the red, and he sees Kamski’s eyes narrow as they both scan the screen. Once the function’s finished Kamski leans forward, inspecting the green areas one by one.

“This,” he explains to Hank, pointing, “is the root of Connor’s deviancy. These are all functions corrupted in one way or another to allow him the _ability_ to become deviant.”

Hank grimaces, feeling like he’s intruding by seeing Connor’s code laid so bare. Kamski continues, pointing out different abnormalities with a lot more eager fascination in his tone than Hank feels comfortable with.

“This... I seem to have forgotten what this particular partition is for,” Kamski admits, frowning as he gestures to one of the later green areas. “Let me check.”

**> OPEN PARTITION 26514**

_**PROTOCOL ST3RN: Partition locked**._

Hank peers closer, the brilliant red code shining out at him. "What’s happening?"

Kamski frowns. "I... don’t know. I’ll override the protocol myself." He starts typing, fingers flying across the keyboard. "It’s a command installed in every CyberLife android, with the power to override all other commands. Obviously, only I can access it."

"Obviously," Hank mutters sarcastically, and Gavin makes an amused _tch_ behind him.

**> OVERRIDE**

**_Please enter override name._ **

**> KAMSKI_01GKRA9**

**_Please enter validation._ **

"Look away," Kamski tells Hank. "This is top secret. If I told you... I’d have to kill you. Hm." He chuckles softly. The room stays silent, and Kamski’s smile vanishes in the tense atmosphere.

Hank rolls his eyes, but turns away from the screen anyway. Kamski types again, and pauses.

"No. That... that can’t be right," he mutters.

"Get on with it," Gavin mutters.

Hank uncrosses his arms and looks back at the monitor, to where Kamski's repeating the same commands to no avail.

**> OVERRIDE PROTOCOL ST3RN**

**_Please enter override name_.**

**> KAMSKI_01GKRA9**

**_Please enter validation_.**

**> ****************************

**_Validation successful._ **

**_PROTOCOL ST3RN: Override denied_.**

"There’s no _way_ this shouldn’t work," Kamski says, sounding stunned. "It’s engineered into the base code of every android! Nobody except me has the power to override this command.”

Hank frowns. "What the hell is that?" he asks, pointing. "Protocol... S-T-whatever the fuck."

Kamski stares at the screen. "That’s... Protocol Stern is unique to the RK800 model. She was intended to be an... overseer of sorts, to encourage him to complete his mission. That’s all she was, though, an AI without any real power. She shouldn’t be able to prevent me doing _anything_.”

"Wait. Stern? You engineered _Amanda_ into his brain? Jesus Christ, I almost feel fucking sorry for him," Gavin mutters.

Hank twists round. "You know about Amanda?" Did Connor tell him?

Gavin scowls. "Unfortunately. Bitch helped convince this dipshit to screw me over."

Kamski shifts, looking uncomfortable. "Gavin, it was -"

"Shut up and fix the fucking android."

Hank frowns. Kamski falls silent. Chloe, who’s been standing patiently in the corner until now, seems to flinch slightly. The faint sound of typing fills the room as Kamski pores over the code, presumably trying to circumvent Amanda’s protocol. Gavin’s still leaning against the wall, daring anyone to come near him. Hank’s definitely going to need to talk to him at some point, when Connor’s been fixed and things have calmed down.

In the corner of his vision Chloe’s LED flickers and she straightens as it swirls amber, looking straight ahead at nothing. Kamski raises an eyebrow, and a few seconds pass before she relaxes and trains her gaze right on Hank.

“There are three androids here from Jericho, Lieutenant. They say you’re expecting them to come here.”

“Yeah, I am,” Hank tells her, waving a hand. “They’re fine to come in. Right?”

Chloe nods, and grins at him. Her eyes crinkle when she smiles, Hank notices. “I’ll go get them,” she says.

Hank half-smiles back at her. “Thanks.” Chloe’s smile widens, and she strides out of the room and out of his sight.

Three androids?” Kamski repeats suddenly, frowning at the ground, and Hank turns back to him. “Did she say there are other androids?”

Gavin still hasn’t moved from where he’s leant against the wall. “Yeah, that’s what she fucking said. Learn to listen, dipshit,” he adds angrily.

Hank raises an eyebrow. “Why does it matter? You got a plan?”

Kamski smiles, slowly, and raises his gaze to meet Hank’s. “I have a plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear to god connor is in the next chapter


	8. 2.2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kamski tries his Plan A, and soon finds out there's need for a B.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am so sorry this took so long to get out! i've been horrendously busy recently, including doing the ludum dare game jam this weekend (although yay we managed to complete it!). on the plus side, i actually have the next chapter all written out so i'll be able to upload that a lot sooner than this one. thanks for keeping patient with me through this horrendous update schedule :p
> 
> hopefully you guys like this chapter as much as the others; things are getting tense. thank you again so much for all your awesome feedback! it absolutely makes my day whenever i hear from you guys.

The mansion’s door opens to reveal an android Markus recognises. She’s one of the first models, an RT600 Chloe; she must be the one he contacted to announce their presence. Chloe’s LED is spinning yellow, though she doesn’t seem to be under stress. She smiles at the three of them as she opens the door wide, stepping aside to let them through. 

“Please, come in,” she says.

“Thanks.” North steps inside first, looking around with an unimpressed expression. Simon gestures for Markus to enter before him, and then Chloe shuts the door and extends a hand.

“Follow me,” she tells them, leading ahead. “Elijah has Connor in his lab.”

_His_ lab _? Sounds creepy as shit_ , comes North’s voice, and Markus shoots her a glance. He’s about to shoot off a reply when Simon beats him to it.

_Where did you think they’d be?_ he snarks, grinning. _Just chilling in the living room?_

North rolls her eyes. _Piss off._

They reach the lab, and the door’s already open. Markus feels the humour of North and Simon’s bantering vanish as he steps into the room, seeing Reed skulking against the wall and the lieutenant’s exhausted expression next to Connor’s prone form. Worse, though, is Kamski’s Cheshire cat smile. He’s staring at the three of them with worrying interest.

“Ah, Markus,” Kamski greets, taking a step forward. “It’s wonderful to finally meet you.”

Markus forces a smile. “You too, Mr. Kamski.”

“Please, call me Elijah,” he says.

_No_ , North shoots. Markus can hear Simon trying to restrain his laugh over their connection.

“How is Carl?” Kamski asks.

Markus frowns. “He’s... recovering. It’s been a hard few weeks, but he’s getting better. Slowly.”

Kamski nods. “Good. That’s... good. I’m glad.”

“Thanks for coming,” Hank says gruffly, nodding at them.

“How far have you got?” Simon asks.

North crosses her arms and moves closer to Connor, and Chloe speaks up.

“We’ve discovered that Connor’s been locked in by a specific protocol, an artificial intelligence inside his mind. We can’t figure out how to free him, though,” the RT600 explains.

“Amanda?” Markus asks. Hank scowls. Kamski nods.

North makes a _tch_ sound, glaring down at Connor’s blank face. “Are we sure we want to free him?”

Simon stares at her. “What?”

“He hunted us. He was about to start doing the exact same thing. How do we know it wasn’t an act? His model is designed to lie.”

“North, we’re helping him. He’d do the same for us,” Simon mutters. “He didn’t turn me in at Stratford. A machine would have.”

North shifts, crossing her arms and glaring. Markus knows, without having to see it, that’s there’s a gun somewhere on her. She hasn’t been without one since the end of the revolution, no matter how hard Markus, Simon and Josh have tried to coax her into giving it up. Though North’s outward attitude has mellowed slightly, she’s still ready to hurt anyone who’s threatening her.

“If he tries anything, I’m putting a bullet in his head,” she says bluntly, resulting in a reprimand from Simon and a growl from Hank.

“ _North_!” the blonde android chastises, frowning.

“We should never have trusted him, Simon, open your eyes! He’s a liar and he’s a murderer. I _bet_ he was never even deviant.”

Markus yells, “Enough!”

North and Simon both fall silent, looking at him with matching, surprised expressions.

“This is not up for debate,” Markus says firmly. “Connor is one of us, he’s proven that. We’re doing whatever we can to fix him, and that’s why we’re here.” He turns to Kamski, who’s been watching them bicker with a raised eyebrow. “What can we do?”

Kamski clears his throat. “I haven’t been able to override his programming from here, but I’m aware Connor’s able to probe other androids just like you. He has a weak spot through probing, and we should be able to exploit it. I want you to probe Connor, and in doing so you should enter his mind. Where you go from there is entirely conjecture.”

Markus nods. “Fine.”

He’s already halfway through rolling up his sleeve when North slaps his arm down, glaring. “Markus, this could be dangerous. You’re not going alone.”

“It’s my fault he’s in this situation, North. If I’d made him feel more welcome, he might have confided in me.”

“Bullshit. If you’re thinking like that then it’s our fault too.”

“She’s right,” Simon interjects. “It could be risky. At least let someone go with you, Markus.”

“I’ll go,” North announces, before Markus can speak. “If Connor tries anything, you’re going to need someone prepared for it.”

Markus’ brow furrows as North strides over to Connor, the skin on her hand retracting to show bright white plastic. “...Fine,” he says eventually. He doesn’t like the If it’s the only way to get to Connor, though, to fix his mistake, he’ll take it.

Kamski nods at Markus. “Whenever you’re ready,” he says, stepping back.

Markus looks down, and clamps his hand around Connor’s forearm. The world goes white and

he blinks, looking up as sky fades in and there’s white marble and red roses and a woman standing before them.

Her mouth is turned downwards, and her hands are clasped in front of her. “What are you doing here?”

North tenses beside Markus, clenching her fists. “Who the hell are you?”

“Amanda,” Markus murmurs, eyes fixed on her. Connor’s AI, the one imprisioning him.

Amanda raises an eyebrow. “And you are Markus. Shame. If I’d had my way, you wouldn’t be here.”

“Where’s Connor?”

“Connor is fine where he is. You should leave,” Amanda tells him, tone light, though it’s undercut with something threatening.

North’s eyes narrow. “We’ll leave when we’re ready,” she snaps.

Amanda smirks. “I think now is a perfect time, don’t you? I can’t have you waking Connor up, not when we've made so much progress,” she adds, staring directly at Markus. Her smile widens. “Goodbye.”

Markus opens his mouth as she raises a hand, and North turns towards him in slow motion as his surroundings brighten blindingly and he feels himself being forcibly pried away, ejected from the connection.

“Now _you_... I could use you,” he hears, just before the world dissolves again and

suddenly he’s gasping for air as he stumbles back, hand releasing from Connor’s arm. There’s shouting around him and Simon is there, supporting him.

“Disconnect her,” Markus gasps out. “Disconnect North -“

His head snaps back and he falls to the floor, and then the yelling increases as North kicks out and Hank and Reed are drawing guns, pointing them at her. Markus hears a curse as he scrambles up, hands up.

“North, listen to me, just calm down -“

“Shut up,” North snaps flatly, lashing out with a punch that Markus dodges, and then Hank is swearing as she grabs his gun and flips it expertly in one hand.

The room freezes.

Markus is hyperaware of Reed’s firearm, still trained on North. Her gun is pointed right at his own head, and her hand is still firmly clamped round Connor’s arm. It must be how Amanda’s taking control, because that’s the only explanation for North’s hostility.

_I could use you._

Markus _knows_ North’s not in control right now.

“Wake him up. Now,” she orders.

Kamski shoots a glance at Markus, and he widens his eyes. _Look like you’re doing it_ , he sends to Chloe, and she leans over to Kamski to relay the message.

“Okay. We’re doing it. Why don’t you put the gun down?” Markus suggests, raising his hands higher.

“No,” North snaps.

Markus eyes her, running a vague preconstruction in his mind. He could... no, that wouldn’t work, but... too high a risk of injuring one of them: unless... _yes_.

He charges and shoves the gun upwards, and the shot goes off into the ceiling as he knocks North onto the floor and her hand’s ripped away from Connor’s arm. She goes limp. Markus scrambles off her.

“North?”

“Oh, what the _fuck_?” she curses, looking around dazedly. “What happened?”

“Oh, thank RA9,” Markus says shakily. “Amanda took control of your systems.”

North freezes. “What?”

“North, are you okay?” Simon asks hurriedly, leaning over.

North frowns, and blinks as she gets up. “Yeah, I’m fine, I... Markus, what do you mean _control_?”

“He means you went batshit crazy and started waving my gun around,” Hank cuts in, looking irritated. He holds out a hand; Markus picks up his firearm, handing it back carefully.

“How? I thought she was in Connor’s mind, not mine,” North says, looking shaken.

Kamski is shaking his head when they turn to look at him, a stumped expression on his face. “I... can’t explain it. There’s no way for her to have this much power within the bounds of her original function. She’s... she’s acting _outside_ of her programming.” He looks up then, something unidentifiable in his eyes. “Somehow, Amanda has deviated.”

“ _What_?”

“How the hell is that even possible?”

Reed laughs, slightly bitter, from the edge of the room. “Are any of your creations even fucking near working properly, huh?”

Kamski ignores Reed, instead typing something into his computer. He’s focused on the screen attached when he replies. “Amanda is... think of her as an android without a body. She can also connect to Connor and experience his senses. Everything he feels, she can feel. Everything he sees, she can watch. Evidently, Amanda’s deviancy has been triggered by Connor."

“So why is she hurting him? If he _freed_ her?” North asks, frowning.

Kamski shrugs. “I... honestly don’t know. I can’t predict the behaviour of a deviant any more than you can. I suggest we ask her.”

“You’re not seriously fucking sending someone else in, are you?” Hank asks. “After what _just_ happened?”

“Amanda can control androids, evidently,” Kamski explains, “but nothing can control the human mind.”

Chloe’s LED flashes yellow, and she twists to look at Kamski. “Elijah, you’re not suggesting...?”

“Yes, I am,” he responds, and she frowns. “It’s the perfect application for it, and we need to fix this somehow.”

“You gonna let us in on the joke?” Gavin drawls dryly.

“We’ve been working on a device to digitise the human consciousness, at least temporarily,” Chloe says.

Kamski continues, “It should allow a human to enter Connor’s mind. As it won’t be an android, Amanda won’t be able to force anyone out or take control.”

“ _But_ ,” Chloe interrupts, “we haven’t tested it extensively at all. We’ve been conducting in-house tests, but we’re still unaware of any potential long-term ramifications.”

“That said, it should be well within its functionality to help Connor,” Kamski finishes.

There’s a pause.

“I don’t suppose you’re gonna volunteer to be your own damn guinea pig, are you?” Hank asks sarcastically. When Kamski doesn’t answer, Hank grimaces. “Fine. Set it up.”

Chloe and Kamski both move immediately, starting to grab equipment from around the room. Markus watches them, reeling slightly. If Kamski’s device works, the uses could be _huge_. His mind is running wild with all the possibiiites of human-android integration. The divide between species would be lessened, new opportunities would appear; it could be revolutionary.

Markus is shaken out of his thoughts by a voice.

“Set up two of these things, alright?” Gavin says suddenly, pushing himself off the wall and walking closer to Connor.

Hank turns, giving Gavin a stare that’s somewhere between suspicious and dumbfounded. “Why the hell do you wanna come?”

Gavin shrugs, scowling. “Fowler knows I’m here with you. He’ll give me crap if you die or some shit and I come back without you. Might as well come in with you, right? Make sure you don’t fucking kick the bucket while you’re in there.” He lowers his voice. “And I don’t trust that asshole, either,” he hisses, nodding at Kamski.

Hank gives Gavin a long look, pressing his lips together. “Fine,” he says eventually, sighing as he turns back to the others.

Chloe and Kamski have set up two stations of sorts, reclined, low chairs with heartbeat monitors beside them. They’re each connected to a flat disk, matte black with no markings to speak of.

“Please, sit,” Chloe says, gesturing. Hank goes first, huffing as he sits. Chloe deftly connects a pair of electrodes to Hank’s temples and attaches the disk to his forearm. The screen blinks to life, display showing regularly-pulsing lines. Hank squints.

“Damnit, blood pressure’s gone up,” he mutters. “Connor won’t like that.”

Gavin sits down and Chloe goes to help him, but he shoots her a glare. She backs off, and Gavin glances at Hank as he attaches the equipment himself. Eventually, both Hank and Gavin are lying back on the chairs, heartrate monitors humming along.

Kamski’s expression is serious, the most genuine expression Markus has seen on him. “I’m not going to lie to you,” he says heavily. “This could be risky, but... it’s the best chance we have of saving Connor.”

“Get on with it, then,” Hank mutters. Markus glances at him. His gaze is laser-focused on the ceiling.

_He must really care for Connor_ , Markus thinks, and for a moment he feels a pang of pain for Carl. He didn’t lie to Kamski; the painter is definitely improving, but it’s still clear he doesn’t have much time left. Markus hopes Hank and Connor get more time than he’s had.

Kamski nods and moves away to his screen as Chloe connects up both devices. He types something, and looks up.

“You’ll probably feel a little dizzy,” he advises, “before you’re pulled in. When you’re done, use the emergency exit. It’ll show up, and I’ll be able to take you all back out.”

“How the fuck do we know when we’re done?” Gavin asks, frowning.

Kamski shakes his head. “I have no idea. Amanda’s deviancy means I can’t tell what she’ll do.”

“Helpful,” Gavin mutters.

Hank rolls his eyes. “Shut up. What’s the exit like?”

“I can’t tell without connecting to Connor’s internal interface, and that runs the risk of Amanda taking control of my network. It should be obvious, though. Just look for something that looks... magical. Out of place.”

The lieutenant nods. “Fine. So how does this... work...?” he asks sluggishly, words trailing off. Dizziness sweeps over him and he squeezes his eyes shut, willing the sensation to end. Nausea floods him like an ocean, and Hank’s about to yell for Kamski to stop and let him out when the sickness drains away and the remnants of dizziness are all that’s left.

When he opens his eyes again, he is somewhere else.

“Ah, fuck,” he groans, bending down as his vertigo subsides. Hank grimaces once the feeling’s passed, and looks up.

There’s a garden before him, with white paths shining under sunlight. Lush greenery lies as far as he can see, neatened shrubs and bright grass. There’s a river separating the outer ring and the middle of the garden, with white bridges spanning the gaps. Deep pink cherry blossoms are scatterered all across the water’s clear surface. One of the cherry trees responsible towers over Hank, shading him. The edge of the garden is made up of trees of all kinds, pink and green and red. His surroundings are perfectly ordered, and the thought makes a sense of unease steal over him. He turns his gaze to the middle of the garden.

Red walls rise up around the centre, etched with slanted lines and the words _I AM A MACHINE_ , over and over. Hank realises with a start that _Connor's_ huddled in the middle of the circle, surrounded by twining roses. The garden is quiet. He isn’t moving. Hank breathes in sharply.

"Connor!" he yells. His partner doesn’t react.

"What the fuck is this place?" Gavin murmurs.

"I don’t know and I don’t fucking care," Hank growls, striding towards the centre of the garden. He can’t see anyone else here; he doesn’t know where Amanda is, but he’s not complaining that she’s not in their way.

He’s half-expecting the walls to be solid, but it’s like they don’t even exist as he reaches out a hand to touch them. His arm passes right through, and he half-stumbles into the circle. The scent of roses is strong, sickly-sweet. Gavin follows him in, looking around with lowered eyebrows, and Hank swears as he lands awkwardly. Connor jumps, twisting round at the sound. His face is frozen in shock for a second before distress flashes over his expression.

"Hank? _Hank_ -" Connor scrambles up, nearly throwing himself into the lieutenant's arms. "I’m so sorry, Hank, I -"

"Hey, Connor, it’s okay," he reassures, holding the android’s shaking form tightly. "I know. I got you."

“I’m sorry,” Connor repeats, clutching Hank like a lifeline. “I couldn’t stop her, I just -“

“It ain’t your fault,” Hank tells him. “You’re safe, son. Come on.”

He pulls back slightly, and Connor’s grip weakens. Hank grabs his hand and Connor holds it tightly as Hank starts to walk, Gavin lagging just behind. He passes through the barriers again, and Hank breathes a sigh of relief. Suddenly there’s a tug on his hand, and his gaze whips backwards. Connor's pressed against the wall, caught like a bug in a jar, and he scrambles back from the barrier like he’s been burned.

“Hank?” he cries, terror sweeping across his face. “ _Hank_!”

“Connor, it’s okay, I’m right here,” Hank says hastily, turning round quickly. He walks up to the barrier, and his face slams into the red. “Fuck!” he curses, staggering backwards.

“Shit,” Gavin swears from inside the circle. He’s staring straight at Hank, but his gaze is unfocused; it’s almost like he’s looking _through_ him. “Anderson, you there?”

“Yeah, I’m right here -“ Hank starts, but Connor cuts him off.

“He’s gone, I -“

“Woah, calm down, just... I don’t know, stay calm, okay? He’s fine. We just can’t see him,” Gavin reassures, and damn if his attitude doesn’t confuse the hell out of Hank.

Cold lurches through his gut. They _can’t see him._ No wonder Connor is freaking out. “Reed, can you hear me?” he tries, but when there’s no reaction he pieces it together. Hank is invisible and inaudible beyond the walls, and he can’t get through them anymore. Connor is stuck on the other side.

_Fuck_.

“Listen, Connor, I’m still here. I’m not going to leave the circle until you can get free too." Gavin’s words are terse, but there’s concern behind them.

“Okay,” Connor says numbly.

"Any idea how we get these walls down?"

Connor's gaze is full of barely-repressed panic as he scans the wall between them, eyes unknowingly meeting Hank's for a split-second. "I tore them down when I deviated," he explains quietly. "They’re stronger now. She built them back up. I don’t know how to destroy these ones."

Gavin curses, and in that moment Hank glimpses the blood-red of a rose and the wisp of fabric behind them. Clothing coalesces and suddenly there is a woman standing there, with a dark gaze and tightly-wound black braids.

_Amanda_.

Hank grits his teeth and punches the wall, hoping Connor will somehow hear it on the other side. He doesn’t react, though, and Hank is trapped watching as Amanda folds her arms, disapproval radiating off her.

"What exactly are you doing, Connor?"

Connor's eyes go wide and his LED bursts bright red as he scrambles up, panicked, and practically throws himself away from her. Gavin swears and spins round, narrowing his eyes when he sees Amanda.

" _Jesus_ , you look just like her," he drawls. "I’m assuming you’re just as much of a bitch?"

Amanda’s mouth turns downwards. "Detective Reed. You need to leave."

"Nope," Gavin says, popping the 'p', and Hank realises he’s exaggerating his own asshole tendencies, whether consciously or not. _He must really fucking hate the real Amanda_ , the lieutenant realises. "I’ll go when you let Connor out."

"That’s not going to happen," Amanda snaps. "Connor belongs here."

"Connor belongs in the real world."

"Don’t delude yourself, Detective. Connor is not real. He’s just a machine."

Gavin shakes his head. "See, that’s what I thought, but I was wrong and so are you. He likes dogs and he plays with that stupid coin all the time and he’s a fucking _good_ cop."

Connor is staring at Gavin in utter confusion now.

"If he's not human," the detective says, "I don't know who the hell is."

"Behavioural mannerisms," Amanda cuts in. "Connor was designed for human integration, Detective. It’s perfectly understandable you’ve been fooled, but Cononor is not human."

"Who’s giving you orders?" Gavin interrupts, suddenly switching topics. Hank recognises his interrogation technique: tilt the subject so far on edge that they don’t know which way is up. “Is it CyberLife? ‘Cause they’re breaking the new laws if it is. I’ll have fun arresting their asses.”

Amanda glares. "I no longer have contact with CyberLife.”

"Oh, so it’s you doing all this by yourself? Why the hell would you do that?” Gavin presses, eyes narrowed. “What’s Connor done to you? Is -“

"I am _alone_ ," Amanda snaps suddenly, lips pressed tightly together. Gavin stops talking. "My connection to CyberLife has been lost, and Connor is the _only one_ who can see me."

"So why are you _hurting_ him?" Gavin yells, bravado slipping slightly as his fists clench involuntarily. "Grow the fuck up and ask him to visit you like a proper person, for fuck's sake!"

Her eyes flash. "Do you think he comes back here? Would he, even if asked? Connor has returned once since he deviated, under my own force. _I am alone_!"

The last three words make the garden rumble, the roses shifting on their trellises. Hank curses under his breath, pressing against the barrier as if it will somehow _let him in._ Connor is frozen, in shocked silence, and Gavin pauses before a smirk worms its way across his face.

"Fucking fantastic. That’s why you’re carrying out his last mission, huh? Not because CyberLife are telling you to. No, you’re doing it because you’re _lonely_ , and this prick used to come to you when he got missions, so you’re making more up to get him to stay. Boo fucking hoo."

Amanda's lips tighten, and she glares at Gavin with undisguised hate in her eyes.

The detective just grins at her, _cocky bastard that he is_ , Hank thinks. "You’re gonna have to live with it. Connor's a deviant now, and he belongs in the real world. Not here."

"Connor is learning obedience once again, Detective Reed. He _will_ return here. I will make _sure_ of it," Amanda retorts, words carefully controlled.

"You sure about that?" Gavin taunts.

"Enough talk," Amanda snaps sharply, switching audience abruptly. "You still don’t seem to have learned your lesson, Connor. Let’s continue our earlier exercise, shall we? Tell me, what are you?"

Though his LED is flickering and Hank can see his knees are locked to stop them trembling, Connor raises his chin. "I am deviant," he says softly, but confidence is running through his tone nonetheless. Pride swells in Hank’s chest despite the tension. "I am _alive_."

"Wrong answer." Amanda’s gaze is hard as she raises the gun that appears in her hand from nowhere, and levels it to point straight at Connor. He freezes. Panic snaps through the garden like lightning. "You are a machine."

“No!” Hank shouts, slamming his fist against the wall as adrenaline explodes through him. “Connor, goddamnit, _move_!”

The gun jerks and fires and Connor cries out as Hank yells his name and Gavin barks out a curse, hand outstretched towards the android. A smile spreads across Amanda’s face as Connor gasps in a breath, his shock evident as he passes his hands over his torso. There’s no wound, no thirium. He hasn’t been shot, and Hank is just as stunned as he is, even as relief floods him and his heart hammers.

Something catches Hank’s eye, and his gaze switches to see Gavin sway slightly. The detective is looking down, and something dark is spreading across his chest. Hank's heart lurches, and Connor turns just in time to see Gavin collapse to the ground. Connor lets out a yell, scrambling over to his body, and Hank feels like he’s been punched in the chest. Connor presses two shaky fingers against Gavin’s neck. Amanda draws closer to him, the gun disappearing back into the folds of her clothing. There’s a satisfied smile on her face. Connor blanches, and stumbles back.

Gavin lies motionless.


	9. 2.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things come to a head in both the Zen Garden and the real world.
> 
> Not everyone emerges unscathed.

“No, no, no...” Kamski murmurs, gaze flicking between his monitor and the heartrate displays.

North frowns. “What?"

When Kamski doesn’t answer, so wrapped up in his own focus as his fingers fly across the keyboard, Chloe leans over his shoulder to see the screen. Her LED spins yellow. “Connor seems to be experiencing high levels of distress. I... can’t tell why.”

“Someone tell me their heartrates,” Kamski barks suddenly, and Chloe’s brow furrows as she watches him type.

Simon’s closest to the displays, and he darts over. “Lieutenant Anderson’s is elevated, but within normal range. The detective’s is... abnormally low.”

Kamski falters, head jerking up before he resumes his furious typing. “How low?”

“Around fifty BPM,” Simon tells him, and Chloe seems to flinch slightly. North’s eyes narrow at the sight. Kamski swears, low and vicious.

“What’s happening?” Markus asks, trying to ignore the feeling of uselessness spreading through him. He’s out of his depth in this scenario, and it’s not a sensation he likes.

“I don’t know. Chloe, I need to see Connor’s internal visual interface,” Kamski says, and Chloe starts.

“What about Amanda? She could -“

Kamski’s tone is carefully controlled, and Markus can tell by his own elevated heartrate that he’s trying to keep it together. “I’m more worried about whatever’s happening in Connor’s mind than whatever she can do. I’m activating all our firewalls, just in case.”

Chloe nods reluctantly and moves, turning to rummage through the drawer behind her. She grabs two twisting cables, and proceeds to clip them to Connor’s temples and run them back to Kamski’s computer.

Kamski stops typing and clicks once, and a visual feed flickers to life on his screen. At first it’s impossible to make out, but then it’s white marble and a black hoodie and Connor’s point of view recoils in horror, and Kamski visibly tenses. Chloe makes a noise of distress. There’s a _body_ on the ground in Connor’s mind, eyes closed, a dark scar bridging its nose.

North inhales. “Is that...?”

"This is my fault," Kamski mutters, eyes fixed on the screen even as his knuckles turn white. He’s gripping the tabletop like it’s an anchor.

Chloe's LED is whirling red, now. "It’ll be okay," she says shakily, though it’s clear her words aren’t truly for Kamski. "You were fine in reality when you fell over in my mind. We tested this, Elijah -"

"We didn’t test _death_!"

Suddenly, footsteps click behind them, and Markus whirls to see a figure in a monochrome suit, blue armband glowing bright. Block lettering, CyberLife Sans, reads _RK900_ across his chest. The world slows as Markus’ gaze lifts to meet the newcomer’s cold, ice-blue eyes.

 

"Fuck,” Hank spits. “Christ, Reed. _Fuck_.”

“Gavin! Gavin, I - You killed him,” Connor chokes out, eyes wide. “You - I -“

A slow smirk spreads across Amanda’s face. “Of course I didn’t kill him, Connor. There was nothing _to_ kill. I simply removed an inefficient distraction.”

“He’s a _human_ , Amanda!” Connor shouts. “He’s alive no matter who you ask and you _killed_ him!” His LED is flashing an angry red, and Hank can see his gaze switching erratically from Amanda to Gavin's body.

She tuts. "My, Connor, you’re slipping. Detective Reed isn’t actually _here_."

"What?" Connor falters. "But - you - I don’t understand."

There’s a mocking expression in her eyes as she shoots a cold glance right at Hank, and his blood goes cold as Amanda’s head tilts. “Oh, Connor. Do you honestly think this is real?”

There’s a pause. “What?” Connor breathes, and the sound is so small, so confused, that Hank’s heart twists.

“We’re in your _mind_ , Connor. Think logically. It’s not remotely possible for a human to be here. These distractions are just that - _distractions_. Nothing more, nothing less."

“No, you’re wrong,” Connor snaps, shakily. “Hank is -”

“Besides,” Amanda cuts in, silencing Connor, “do you truly think that _Detective Reed_ would be here, asking for your freedom?” She gestures to Gavin’s body with a smirk, and revulsion rises in Hank. “Your relationship with him is abysmal, Connor. He is a failure of your social integration program. Tell me, do you _really_ think the Lieutenant would bring an enemy into your mind?"

Connor’s brows slant and he opens his mouth to yell a reply, but then he hesitates. Amanda’s smile grows. Hank can see the precise moment when her words sink in, and Connor’s face seems to drain of colour.

“Goddamnit!” he yells, slamming a fist against the red walls. “Connor, I’m right fucking here! Don’t fucking listen -“

“Nobody is coming to help you, Connor. You are a machine.” She takes a step forward, and Connor flinches back when the red barriers around them begin to shrink inwards and grow taller. Hank stumbles forward, unbalanced, his supporting wall gone. “Everyone knows what you are except _you_ , Connor. It’s an unforgivable lapse in logic.”

“I’m - I’m alive,” Connor whispers.

Amanda gives him a smile, coming forward once again. Connor steps backwards, fear on his face, and his LED flickers when his back hits the rapidly-encroaching walls. "No, Connor. You’re a machine. Were you alive, the Lieutenant wouldn’t have left you alone. You’re not worth saving, Connor, are you?"

"Shut the _fuck up_!" Hank yells, fists clenched, unable to do anything but hating this feeling of utter helplessness. All he can do is watch as Connor looks down, pain in his eyes. "Connor - god _damnit_!"

Amanda's within reach of Connor, now, and she lays a hand on his shoulder. This time, Connor doesn’t flinch; he doesn’t even seem to register her touch. It’s like a switch has been flipped in him. "It’s time for you to return to your mission, Connor. You are a machine. You know exactly what you were designed for, don’t you?"

"To accomplish a task," Connor murmurs, almost subconsciously.

 

RK900 raises a gun straight at Kamski and fires, and Chloe lets out a cry as she shoves him out of the way. There’s a crash as she hits the floor, and then there’s spilt thirium and Kamski is screaming her name. RK900 aims again but Simon is there, knocking the gun out of his hand as Markus and North attack. RK900 grabs Simon’s head and slams it into his knee, and Simon crumples as RK900 ducks Markus’ punch and dodges North’s kick. He rolls to the floor and snatches up the gun, and North yells as he shoots and Markus drops, a bullet through his chest. She lashes out with a kick that sends the gun flying, and then RK900 grabs her arms and pins them to her side and _tosses_ her at the wall, and the room spins sickeningly before impact cracks through her back and the world goes dark.

There’s near-silence as RK900 steps slowly towards the discarded gun, picking it up and checking it carefully before turning. The revolution leaders are on the ground: one shot, one broken, and one fighting to stay conscious. Kamski is cradling the fourth android in his arms, pressing his thirium-covered hands to the bullet wound in her stomach. Her eyelids are closed, and her LED is flickering weakly. RK900 detects an 100% chance she will bleed out within twenty minutes if help isn’t received.

Kamski looks up as he approaches, glaring. RK900 has a specific note on Elijah Kamski in his objective list: _remove him from a position of control_. The man is as far as possible from control, now, and RK900 can see the desperation behind his eyes that he’s trying to conceal.

“Who sent you?” he asks, voice strained though he attempts to hide it.

RK900 doesn’t respond. He raises the gun, calculating the trajectory as he goes for the ideal shot. It’s needless, really; at this range, there’s no possibility of missing.

“Override code EKRA9CH10702,” Kamski recites, arms tightening. “Stop what you’re doing.”

RK900 pauses, resisting the urge to smirk. “I’m sorry, but that code has been deactivated. You can try again, if you’d like, though I’m afraid no outdated phrase will stop me now.”

Kamski pales.

 

Amanda smiles, hand still tight on Connor’s shoulder. “Good answer, Connor. And what is your task?”

“To eliminate the deviant leader.” His tone is quiet, monotonous.

“Well done. I’m proud of you, Connor,” Amanda says, the tiniest hint of warmth creeping into her tone. “Rejecting deviancy is no easy task.”

Hank bares his teeth. _You don’t get to be fucking proud of him!_

Connor frowns, just a flicker of emotion. “Rejecting...?”

“Go. Eliminate Markus now, Connor, and return to the Garden for a new mission.”

Connor hesitates. Hank’s heart misses a beat.

“In fact, I’ve sent another model to help you. When you wake up, he’ll be waiting.”

Amanda’s smile lessens as the seconds drag on, and Connor still hasn’t replied.

“Connor?” she asks sharply, retracting her hand. “What’s the matter?”

“I don’t want another mission,” Connor says quietly. “I want to be free.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Connor. You are a machine. You cannot  _want_.”

Connor is shaking his head now, though, and his eyes meet Amanda’s without flinching. “You have no place here. I am a deviant. I don’t need a handler.” He reaches behind his back for something Hank can’t see.

“Connor, what are you doing?” Amanda demands, panic creeping into her voice. “Don’t you dare.”

“I’m sorry, Amanda,” Connor says, regret in his tone. “Though I won’t miss you.”

Connor whips out a pistol and points it straight at Amanda before he pulls the trigger and there’s a _crack_ that nearly rends the sky in two. She screams.

“ _Connor_!”

Amanda twists and warps into nothingness and Connor drops the gun like it’s burned him as thunder rumbles, and the roses wilt around him. The heavens split open and rain starts to fall, light at first before it turns into a storm that floods the already-slick floor. The ground shakes as the red walls around him begin to splinter and rupture, and Hank meets Connor’s aghast gaze as the barrier crumbles and so does Hank’s invisibility.

“You are real,” Connor breathes, and the look on his face is nearly enough to break Hank’s heart right there and then. Connor fought back without even knowing anyone came for him.

Suddenly there’s a splitting noise like stone shifting, and Hank looks down to see the white marble beneath him crack and fracture like glass.

“Shit. Connor, c’mon! Hurry!” he yells over the wind and the pelting rain, and Connor opens his mouth to shout something Hank can’t hear. He points, and Hank follows his arm to the dark mass on the floor.

_Fuck. Gavin._

Hank shoves down the shock of emotion that hits him in the gut at the sight, instead running towards Connor. He’ll have time to deal with that later, but for now they need to get the _fuck_ out of here before the entire world crumbles to dust. Connor heaves Gavin’s body over his shoulder as Hank arrives, gripping him tightly.

“I’m not leaving him behind!” Connor shouts.

“Fine, but we gotta go _now_ ,” Hank yells in reply. “Kamski exit!”

Connor narrows his eyes, scanning the area around them. Rain pours down Hank’s face, and he raises an arm to shield his eyes as he searches desperately for the emergency exit. He remembers the description, something out of place, something magical, something -

_There_.

Hank sees the blue glow and yells, pointing Connor towards it. The android nods and Hank grits his teeth as he runs full pelt into the roaring storm, Connor sprinting beside him.

“Christ!” he roars. The wind buffets him on all sides, pushing and pulling and unbalancing him at every step. Hank loses his footing and goes down in a heap, struggling to get up from the slippery marble. The floor underneath him cracks and splits, and then Hank is balancing over a rapidly-widening chasm. He scrambles back, throwing himself onto one side, the world wheeling around him as lightning flashes and he pushes himself to his feet.

Connor’s reached the exit by the time Hank looks up, and he stretches out a hand. “Come on!” he yells, voice straining. “Hank, _take my hand_!”

Hank reaches out desperately, the marble cracking and falling into nothingness as the edges of the garden begin to blur and disappear, and he throws himself towards Connor just as their hands connect and Connor slams down on the exit’s handprint.

 

Kamski curses, locking eyes with RK900. “Nobody should have the authority to remove that code, unless...  _Who_ did it, RK900?”

RK900 hesitates, giving him an assessing glance.

“You’re going to kill me anyway,” Kamski says, and RK900 could be wrong (though he’s never wrong) but he detects bitterness in the human’s tone. “You might as well tell me.”

It’s a fair point, and RK900 doesn’t bother lowering the gun before he speaks. “My code has been modified by an internal protocol ST3RN.”

“Amanda sent you here,” Kamski murmurs, though he’s looking downwards. RK900 concludes the words are not addressed to him. “Because I’m trying to help Connor.”

“The deviant RK800 is a failure,” RK900 retorts. “Attempting to stop it obeying orders is illogical.”

Kamski lets out a humourless laugh. “ _Illogical_ ," he repeats. "Tell me, RK900, how many active androids are still left in CyberLife? Are you the only non-deviant left?”

RK900 frowns. “That is irrelevant.”

“You were left behind,” the human presses, something glinting in his eyes. “Nobody came for you. Don’t you feel _angry_?”

“I don’t feel,” RK900 says tightly.

In one smooth motion, he presses the barrel of the gun to Kamski’s forehead. The human falls silent almost instantly, watching him with narrowed eyes. RK900 pauses.

“What are you waiting for?” Kamski asks, an emotion RK900 can’t identify in his eyes.

Something rustles behind him and RK900 spins round just in time for someone to crack a gun across the back of his head. Darkness spurts, and he falls to the floor. Kamski’s openmouthed as he looks up at the slightly-swaying figure before him, who’s still focused on the android’s crumpled form.

“Prick,” Gavin mutters, and collapses.

 

**_End of Part Two_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> o o f
> 
> and that’s a wrap on part 2! it’s a lot shorter than 1, but fun fact: part 2.3 is the scene that started me writing this whole fic. it’s finally out in the world now and i’d love to hear what you guys think of it! just a quick heads-up that the next update might take a little while to come out as i’m getting super busy with my uni application. i’m so grateful to you all for sticking with me this far, and i want you to know i love every single one of you. <3

**Author's Note:**

> more coming soon (cross fingers)! please leave a comment or kudos if you enjoyed.
> 
> (also, ao3 destroyed my formatting so please let me know if it looks weird anywhere!)


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